1 In this study we characterized the CGRP-receptor subtype by Schild-plot analysis using the Cterminal fragment, human-aCGRP(8 ± 37), a putative competitive CGRP 1 -receptor selective antagonist. In addition, the e ect of rat-aCGRP was compared with that of homologous peptides rat-bCGRP, ratamylin, rat-adrenomedullin and [Cys(Acm) 2,7 ]-human-aCGRP, a putative selective CGRP 2 -receptor agonist, in the left coronary arteries of 3 months old male and female Sprague Dawley rats. 2 Isolated rings from the distal, intramural part of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery in both groups of rats were mounted on a double wire-myograph. The arteries were then stretched to their optimal lumen diameter for active tension development and precontracted with 10 75 M prostaglandin F 2a (PGF 2a ), after which agonists were added to the organ bath in a cumulative manner. 3 Rat-aCGRP induced endothelium-independent relaxations in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rat-bCGRP concentration-response relations (10 711 ± 10 77 M) were similar to those of rat-aCGRP in either sex. The maximal relaxations induced by rat-amylin and rat-adrenomedullin, both at 10 76 M, were signi®cantly (P50.05) lower than those induced by rat-a-and rat-bCGRP. In contrast, the selective CGRP 2 -receptor agonist [Cys(Acm) 2,7 ]-human-aCGRP failed to induce signi®cant relaxations at the highest concentration used (10 77 M) in the coronary arteries of male and female rats. 5 The C-terminal fragment, human-aCGRP(8 ± 37) blocked concentration-dependently (10 77 ± 10 76 M) the rat-aCGRP-induced relaxation in 10 75 M PGF 2a -precontracted coronary arteries. The slopes of the regression lines of the Schild-plots for both male and female rats were not signi®cantly (P40.05) di erent from unity and the pA 2 values for human-aCGRP(8 ± 37) were 6.93 and 6.98 in arteries from male and female rats, respectively. There was no signi®cant (P40.05) di erence in estimated pK B values for human-aCGRP(8 ± 37) between male (6.99+0.10, n=13) and female (6.95+0.08, n=13) rats. 6 The concentration-response relationships for rat-a-and rat-bCGRP were similar in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. The predominant CGRP receptor subtype in small intramural coronary arteries appeared to belong to the CGRP 1 -receptor subtype in both sexes.