Urotensin II and its receptor are thought to be involved in various cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Iontophoresis of U-II in healthy volunteers produces vasodilation (of the forearm) while in patients with heart failure or hypertension a constriction is observed.
Recent studies have demonstrated increased expression of both UTII and its receptor (UTR) expression in end-stage congestive heart failure (CHF), but it is unclear whether UTII and UTR are late stage markers of decompensation, or earlier adaptive responses.
In addition to its potent vasoconstrictive actions, UII also has trophic and profibrotic effects, leading to its implication in the pathogenesis of heart failure.