Renal effects of human urotensin-II in rats with experimental congestive heart failure.

Background: Urotensin II (U-II) and its receptor GPR-14 are expressed in the kidney and the cardiovascular system of various mammalian species. Recent studies suggested that the U-II/GPR-14 system is upregulated in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the involvement of the peptide in the alterations of renal function in CHF remains unknown.