title: Effects of human urotensin II in isolated vessels of various species; comparison with other vasoactive agents.
abstract: Urotensin II is a cyclic undecapeptide which activates the GPR14 receptor and exerts potent vasoconstrictor effects in some species of fish and mammals. The present study intended to investigate isolated vessels from various species in an attempt to find sensitive preparations to be used in studies of the human urotensin (hU-II)/GPR14 system. Contractile responses evoked by noradrenaline (NA), angiotensin II (Ang II), endothelin 1 (ET-1) and hU-II were measured in large vessels (aorta and some large arteries and veins) of rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, pigs and humans. Relaxing effects of hU-II, bradykinin (BK) and substance P (SP) were measured in pig coronary arteries contracted with KCl 30 mM. The rat mesenteric vasculature was investigated from the arterial and venous site to establish the function of ET-1 and hU-II receptors. Results indicate that the only preparation showing high sensitivity to hU-II (pEC(50)=8.27) is the rat aorta, whose contractions in response to hU-II develop slowly and persist for hours, similar to those of ET-1 (pEC(50)=8.35). Effects of NA (pEC(50)=8.12) and Ang II (pEC(50)=7.95) develop and reverse more rapidly. Tissues treated with ET-1 and hU-II show marked desensitization, in contrast to those treated with NA. Specific antagonists for alpha(1) (prazosin, p A(2)=10.46), AT(1) (EXP 3174, p A(2)=10.20), 5HT(2) (ketanserine, p A(2)=8.61) and ET(A)-ET(B) (bosentan, p A(2)=6.88) receptors were shown to block the effects of the respective agonists, while being inactive against hU-II. In some vessels, hU-II behaved as an highly potent but scarcely effective contractile agent. It is concluded that: the hU-II/GPR14 is not a functional contractile system in vessels of several species, in contrast with NA/alpha(1), Ang II/AT(1), 5HT/5HT(2) and ET-1/ET(A)-ET(B). The rat aorta appears however to be a sensitive and reliable preparation for evaluating biological activities of hU-II and related peptides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Camarda
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calò
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gendron
authors.forename: Stephan I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.forename: Evi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kostenis
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascoli
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Regoli
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D014579:Urotensins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C121697:UTS2R protein, human; D014579:Urotensins; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000804:Angiotensin II; C029677:urotensin II; D009638:Norepinephrine