Urotensin II (UII) is the most potent vasoconstrictor peptide, whereas it acts as a vasodilator on some arteries. We studied plasma levels of UII in diabetic patients with normal serum creatinine levels (<90µmol/l) and the expression of UII and its receptor in cultured human vascular endothelial cells. Plasma UII levels were significantly elevated by 1.8-fold in diabetic patients without proteinuria (7.8±0.6fmol/ml; P<0.0001) and 1.7-fold in those with overt proteinuria (7.3±0.9fmol/ml; P = 0.0018) when compared with healthy subjects (4.4±0.2fmol/ml). No significant correlation was obtained between plasma UII levels and fasting blood sugar (P = 0.631 and P = 0.853 in non-proteinuric and proteinuric diabetic patients respectively), glycated haemoglobin levels (P = 0.376 and P = 0.888 respectively) or serum creatinine levels (P = 0.301 and P = 0.568 respectively). Reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis showed the expression of mRNAs encoding UII precursor and UII-receptor precursors in cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells and umbilical vein endothelial cells, suggesting that vascular endothelial cells are one of the sources of UII in blood. These findings suggest that elevation of plasma UII levels may be an important background factor in diabetic cardiovascular and organ complications in diabetic subjects without renal failure.
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December 10 2002
Increased plasma urotensin II levels in patients with diabetes mellitus Available to Purchase
Kazuhito TOTSUNE;
*Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan
Correspondence: Dr Kazuhito Totsune (e-mail [email protected]).
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Kazuhiro TAKAHASHI;
Kazuhiro TAKAHASHI
†Department of Molecular Biology and Applied Physiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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Zenei ARIHARA;
Zenei ARIHARA
*Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan
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Masahiko SONE;
Masahiko SONE
†Department of Molecular Biology and Applied Physiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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Sadayoshi ITO;
Sadayoshi ITO
*Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan
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Osamu MURAKAMI
Osamu MURAKAMI
*Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 01 2002
Revision Received:
October 09 2002
Accepted:
October 24 2002
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society and the Medical Research Society © 2003
2003
Clin Sci (Lond) (2003) 104 (1): 1–5.
Article history
Received:
October 01 2002
Revision Received:
October 09 2002
Accepted:
October 24 2002
Citation
Kazuhito TOTSUNE, Kazuhiro TAKAHASHI, Zenei ARIHARA, Masahiko SONE, Sadayoshi ITO, Osamu MURAKAMI; Increased plasma urotensin II levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 January 2003; 104 (1): 1–5. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/cs1040001
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