Association analysis of urotensin II gene (UTS2) and flanking regions with biochemical parameters related to insulin resistance.

Background. Urotensin II (UII) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, which signals through a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) known as GPR14 or urotensin receptor (UTR). UII exerts a broad spectrum of actions in several systems such as vascular cell, heart muscle or pancreas, where it inhibits insulin release. Objective. Given the reported role of UII in insulin secretion, we have performed a genetic association analysis of the UTS2 gene and flanking regions with biochemical parameters related to insulin resistance (fasting glucose, glucose 2 hours after a glucose overload, fasting insulin and insulin resistance estimated as HOMA). Results and Conclusions. We have identified several polymorphisms associated with the analysed clinical traits, not only at the UTS2 gene, but also in thePER3 gene, located upstream from UTS2. Our results are compatible with a role for UII in glucose homeostasis and diabetes although we cannot rule out the possibility that PER3 gene may underlie the reported associations.

CENIT-2008 1004 from the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under the Ingenio 2010 program. CIBER of Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain.The Group Fisiopatología Cardiovascular” is supported by funding from Spanish Ministry MICINN (BFU2010-21043-C02-02; PS09-02287) and Red RECAVA [RD06-0014-0020]; from the Government of Andalucía (CICE: [P08-CVI-3913; P09-CTS-4715]