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Urotensin II induces hypertrophic responses in cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats
Author(s) -
Zou Yunzeng,
Nagai Ryozo,
Yamazaki Tsutomu
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(01)03015-0
Subject(s) - urotensin ii , medicine , endocrinology , neuropeptide , muscle hypertrophy , atrial natriuretic peptide , mapk/erk pathway , stimulation , extracellular , natriuretic peptide , biology , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , receptor , heart failure
Urotensin II (UII), a cyclic neuropeptide, functions not only in the central nervous system but also in non‐neural systems including cardiovascular systems. In the present study we examined whether UII regulates hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes. The exposure of cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats to UII dose‐dependently activated extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs), important molecules in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. ERK activation by UII at 100 nM peaked at 8 min after stimulation. UII markedly induced expression of specific genes encoding atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide, and significantly increased amino acid incorporation into proteins. Incubation of cardiomyocytes with UII increased cell size and myofibril organisation. UII, then, might participate in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.