Description
Urotensin II is a peptide ligand that binds the urotensin II (UT) receptor and can be used as a biomarker for hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Urotensin II increases expression of IL-6, IL-1β, VCAM-1, and tissue factor in vitro, exhibiting pro-inflammatory activity. Urotensin II also inhibits glucose transport through modulation of NADPH oxidase signaling, which increases levels of ROS and decreases phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK. Additionally, urotensin II can induce apoptosis in cardiac tissue cells and can induce relaxation in smooth muscle cells.
References
Peng H, Zhang M, Cai X, et al. Association between Human Urotensin II and Essential Hypertension-A 1:1 Matched Case-Control Study. PLoS One. 2013 Dec 10;8(12):e81764. PMID: 24339964.
Wang HX, Wu XR, Yang H, et al. Urotensin II inhibits skeletal muscle glucose transport signaling pathways via the NADPH oxidase pathway. PLoS One. 2013 Oct 8;8(10):e76796. PMID: 24116164.
Park SL, Lee BK, Kim YA, et al. Inhibitory Effect of an Urotensin II Receptor Antagonist on Proinflammatory Activation Induced by Urotensin II in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2013 Jul 30;21(4):277-83. PMID: 24244812.
