Urotensinergic system genes in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract Objective Cerebral vasospasm, one of the main complications of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is characterized by arterial constriction and mainly occurs from day 4 until the second week after the event. Urotensin-II (U-II) has been described as the most potent vasoconstrictor peptide in mammals. An analysis is made of the serum U-II concentrations and mRNA expression levels of U-II, urotensin related peptide (URP) and urotensin receptor (UT) genes in an experimental murine model of SAH. Design An experimental study was carried out. Setting Experimental operating room of the Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocio University Hospital (Seville, Spain). Participants 96 Wistar rats: 74 SAH and 22 sham intervention animals. Interventions Day 1: blood sampling, followed by the percutaneous injection of 100 μl saline (sham) or blood (SAH) into the subarachnoid space. Day 5: blood sampling, followed by sacrifice of the animals. Main variables of interest Weight, early mortality, serum U-II levels, mRNA values for U-II, URP and UT. Results Serum U-II levels increased in the SAH group from day 1 (0.62 pg/mL [IQR 0.36–1.08]) to day 5 (0.74 pg/mL [IQR 0.39–1.43]) ( p p  = 0.959). Between-group differences were found on day 5 ( p Conclusion The urotensinergic system is upregulated on day 5 in an experimental model of SAH.