Involvement of tachykinin receptors in oedema formation and plasma extravasation induced by substance P, neurokinin A, and neurokinin B in mouse ear.

The involvement of tachykinin receptors in skin inflammation induced by substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), and neurokinin B (NKB) was investigated in mouse ears. Intradermal injection of tachykinins (0.1-100 pmol/site) into the ear skin produced oedema formation. RP 67580 (ED50: 0.34 mg/kg, i.v.) and SR 140333 (ED50: 0.19 mg/kg, i.v.), the non-peptide NK1 receptor antagonists, inhibited SP-induced oedema. SR 140333 was also effective in preventing NKA- and NKB-induced oedema. SR 48968 (1 mg/kg, i.v.), a non-peptide NK2 antagonist, induced a significant inhibition of NKA-induced oedema but had no effect on the response to SP and NKB. SR 142801 (3 mg/kg, i.v.), a non-peptide NK3 antagonist, prevented only NKB-induced oedema. In contrast, phosphoramidon (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg, i.v.), an endopeptidase inhibitor, enhanced the oedema response to tachykinins. SR 140333, SR 48968, and SR 142801 blocked the enhancement by phosphoramidon of the response to SP, NKA, and NKB, respectively. Plasma extravasation in ear skin was induced by i.v. injection of tachykinins (0.7-17.6 nmol/kg). RP 67580 (ED50: 0.15 mg/kg, i.v. for SP) and SR 140333 (ED50: 14.3 micrograms/kg, i.v. for SP) inhibited tachykinin-induced plasma extravasation in ear skin. However, SR 48968 and SR 140281 had no effect on the vascular response to tachykinins. Chlorpheniramine (4 mg/kg, i.v.), a histamine H1 blocker, inhibited the response to local SP but not to i.v. SP. These results suggest that in addition to the NK1 receptors, functional NK2 and NK3 receptors may participate in the oedema response to local NKA and NKB in the ear skin. However, it appears that NK1 receptors on blood vessels are involved predominantly in plasma extravasation induced by i.v. tachykinins in the ear.