Abstract
Urotensin II is a peptide present, together with its receptor, in the central nervous system and many peripheral tissues (including heart, blood vessels, kidneys and endocrine organs) of many species. The bioactive, mature form contains a cyclic heptapeptide perfectly preserved across species spanning 550 million years of evolution Its biological activity has been explored in cultured cells, in isolated vessels from several species, in the isolated perfused heart and in intact animals and man. Initial demonstration of potent vasoconstriction and cardiac depression by the human isoform in non-human primates has been followed by a series of reports indicating potent but highly variable and generally modest vascular responses dependent on species and vascular region. In man short term cardiovascular responses to administered urotensin II are small or absent. The place of urotensin II in the chronic trophic responses to cardiac and vascular injury and its possible roles as a neurotransmitter and/or regulator of renal and endocrine function remain largely unexplored.