In-vitro effects of the urotensin-II peptide and its receptor antagonists on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Sep 22, 2026

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Urotensin-II is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide whose receptor, GPR14, influences central nervous system, cardiovascular, and kidney functions. Evidence links urotensin-II and its receptor to solid tumors, with peptide, receptor presence in breast cancer tissue and increased plasma levels in patients. This study examined how urotensin-II receptor antagonists affect MCF-7 cell proliferation and gene expression using WST-8 and quantitative RT-PCR for metastasis- and tumor-suppressor-related markers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Urotensin-II and its receptor signaling

Links to chronic diseases and cancers

Overview of breast cancer and molecular classification

Olukman et al. Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute (2026) 38:33 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s43046-026-00366-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s43046-026-00366-7) Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute RESEARCH Open Access In-vitro effects of the urotensin-II peptide and its receptor antagonists on mcf-7 breast cancer cell line Murat Olukman1*, Ezgi Olukman2, Kutay Bulut3, Burcu Bölük3, SundeYılmaz Süslüer3 and Ayşe Erol1 Abstract Background Urotensin-II is a powerful vasoconstrictor peptide. Both the peptide and its receptor, GPR14, affect central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and kidney functions. Urotensin-II was found to be involved in the development of many solid organ tumors. The peptide and its receptor have been demonstrated to be present in breast cancer tissue. Moreover, its human plasma level is increased in breast cancer patients. It has also been reported that some cancer patients may have urotensin gene polymorphisms. Antagonists ofthis peptide receptor with different chemical structures have been produced and studied in different disease models. There are no experimental or clinical studies investigating the effects of urotensin-II receptor antagonists on breast cancer. In this study, MCF-7 cells were grown in an appropriate environment and then plated in wells. WST-8 was used to detect cell proliferation and inhibition effects. The expression levels of the MTA-1, ESR1, Kiss1, UT-II and UTR genes were measured via quantitative RT‒PCR. This study is the first to show the effects of urotensin-II peptide and its receptor antagonists on breast cancer. Results While urotensin-II increased cell proliferation, all the antagonists had inhibitory effects. When the expression of genes affecting the metastasis or suppression of tumor cells was investigated, urotensin-II increased MTA-1 and ESR1 expression and decreased Kiss1 expression. Urotensin-II receptor antagonists reversed these effects. Conclusions As a result, while urotensin-II triggered breast cancer cell proliferation, its receptor antagonists had inhibitory effects on proliferation and positive regulatory effects on tumor suppressor genes. These results suggest that urotensin-II receptor antagonists may provide effective results for breast cancer treatment. Keywords Urotensin, Breast cancer, Cell culture, Metastasis *Correspondence: Murat Olukman [murat.olukman@ege.edu.tr](murat.olukman@ege.edu.tr) 1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey 2Biomedicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 3Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.)[.](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.) Olukman et al. Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute (2026) 38:33 Page 2 of 9 Introduction Urotensin-II (UT-II) is the most potent vasoconstrictor peptide known, exerting its effects through the urotensin-II receptor (UTR, GPR14), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family [1]. The activation of UTRsin vascular

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the study on MCF-7 breast cancer cells?

To determine the in-vitro effects of urotensin-II peptide and its receptor antagonists on MCF-7 cell proliferation and on expression of relevant genes.

How did urotensin-II affect MCF-7 cell proliferation and metastasis-related gene expression?

Urotensin-II increased cell proliferation, increased MTA-1 and ESR1 expression, and decreased Kiss1 expression.

What impact did urotensin-II receptor antagonists have on the effects of urotensin-II?

All antagonists showed inhibitory effects on proliferation and reversed urotensin-II–induced changes, indicating positive regulatory effects on tumor suppressor genes.

Sep 22, 2026

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