title: Elevated expression of urotensin II and its receptor in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urotensin II (UII) is a somatostatin-like peptide recently identified to have several cardiovascular effects, including potent vasoactive, cardiac inotropic and chronotropic properties. Our aim was to determine the degree of expression of UII and UII receptor (UT) in the myocardium of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the degree of expression and location of UII and UT in the myocardium of STZ-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UII and UT expression were significantly enhanced in the myocardium of rats with diabetes compared with healthy controls on both messenger RNA and protein levels. Both UII and UT protein expression were mainly concentrated in the cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, cardiac fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a possible role for the UII/UT system in the pathophysiology of DCM.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Xin-Gui
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Zhen-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Meng-Xiong
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000235:genetics*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014579:Urotensins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C121697:UTS2R protein, human; D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II