Urocortin II is a neuropeptide hormone and member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family which includes mammalian CRF , urocortin , urocortin III , frog sauvagine, and piscine urotensin I. Human urocortin II shares 34, 43, and 37-40% sequence homology with rat and human CRF, human urocortin , and human urocortin III. Urocortin II increases cell shortening and accelerates relaxation of rabbit ventricular myocytes in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In vivo, urocortin reduces arterial blood pressure in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats via peripheral CRF2 receptor agonism. It induces dose-dependent tachycardia and hypotension in rats when administered at doses of 3 and 30 pmol/kg. Urocortin (10 and 20 μg/kg) also reduces the visceral pain response to colorectal distension in conscious rats and delays gastric emptying in mice.
References:
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