Calcitonin gene-related peptide and calcitonin immunoreactivity in brain and spinal cord in Alzheimer-type dementia.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and calcitonin (CT) immunoreactivity were measured in hypothalamus, parahippocampal gyrus, pituitary and grey matter of the posterior and anterior spinal cord from five to six cases of Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) and from five to six controls. CGRP was slightly increased and choline acetyltransferase decreased in the anterior grey of ATD spinal cord. No other significant differences were observed between the levels of the two peptides in the ATD and control tissues, even in the parahippocampal gyrus and posterior grey of the spinal cord which had reduced choline acetyltransferase activity in the ATD cases. These results show that CGRP and CT are not affected in ATD, either as a consequence of a direct effect on peptidergic neurons or secondary to the loss of choline acetyltransferase activity.