Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Urotensin II (UII) and its receptor (UT or GPR14) are involved in liver fibrosis and portal hypertension. Nevertheless, expression of the UII/UT system in the liver of patients with portal hypertension has not been elucidated. UII and UT gene expression were quantified in liver biopsy samples from patients with hepatitis-B-virus-associated cirrhosis and portal hypertension, and from normal controls by using quantitative real-time PCR. The liver distribution of UT was determined by means of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Western blot analysis was used to assess liver levels of UT. Simultaneously, we measured intra-operative free portal venous pressure (FPVP) and collected plasma for UII measurement by ELISA. UT expression at the mRNA and protein level was enhanced significantly in the liver of patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, compared with that in healthy controls. UT protein expression was concentrated mainly in the Kupffer cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells. In cirrhotic tissue, UII gene expression was increased 5-fold in comparison to that in normal liver tissue. Plasma UII level was higher in cirrhotic patients compared with controls and was correlated with FPVP (r=0.807; P<0.001) and UII mRNA in the liver (r=0.802; P<0.001). These findings suggest that the intrahepatic UII/UT system has an important pathophysiological role in cirrhosis and portal hypertension.
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PMID:Increased expression of urotensin II and GPR14 in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. 2042 87

Urotensin II (UT II) is an important factor of cellular homeostasis. This regulatory peptide is involved in the pathophysiology of many disorders. For example, it plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, stressful and adaptive reactions of the body, in the development of cardiovascular pathologies, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, liver cirrhosis, renal failure, diabetic nephropathy, reproductive dysfunction, progression of psychosomatic, psychoendocrinal and psychiatric disorders. In this concern, the involvement of UT II in the pathophysiology of many processes determines the perspectives for the development of blockers of urotensin receptors for the treatment of the aforementioned diseases. It is important that even today this kind of perspective is feasible due to the synthesis of a series of GPR14 blockers. The objective of this review is to discuss current molecular mechanisms of biological activity, regulatory functions of UT II, its role in the pathogenesis of different nosologies, as well as analysis of the possible routes of exposure to GPR14 as potential therapeutic targets.
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PMID:Urotensin II: Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Activity. 2887 51