Human urotensin-II enhances plasma extravasation in specific vascular districts in Wistar rats

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Abstract
Plasma extravasation (PE) was measured in adult Wistar rats by injecting Evans blue dye (EB) (20 mg kg–1) intravenously in the absence or presence of human urotensin II (U-II) (0.1–10 nmol kg–1). A consistent increase of PE was observed in specific organs (e.g., aorta, from 28.1 ± 2.4 to 74.6 ± 3.6 µg EB g–1 dry tissue; P < 0.001) after an administration of 4.0 nmol kg–1 (a preselected optimal dose) of U-II. The effects of U-II (4.0 nmol kg–1) were compared with those of endothelin-1 (ET-1) (1.0 nmol kg–1). In the thoracic aorta and pancreas, U-II was active, while ET-1 was not. The two agents were equivalent in the heart and kidney, whereas, in the duodenum, ET-1 was more active than U-II. Increases of plasma extravasation induced by U-II, but not by ET-1, were reduced after treatment with [Orn8]U-II (0.3 µmol kg–1). This latter antagonist did not show any significant residual agonistic activity in vivo in the rat. Other specific receptor antagonists for ET-1, such as BQ-123 (endothelin type A (ETA) receptor) and BQ-788 (endothelin type B (ETB) receptor), and for the platelet activating factor (PAF), such as BN50730, failed to modify the action of U-II. The present study is the first report describing the modulator roles of U-II on vascular permeability in specific organs. Moreover, the action of U-II appears specific, since it is independent of the ET-1 and PAF signalling pathways.Key words: urotensin-II, receptors antagonists, Evans blue dye, vascular permeability, rats.