Urocortin 1 reduced the oversecretion of VEGF in MCs, induced by TGF-β1. Urocortin 1 decreased TGF-β1 induced VEGF secretion in MCs and pretreatment with astressin reversed the effect of urocortin 1. Blank, MCs were cultured in normal DMEM medium; Control, MCs cultured in DMEM containing 2 ng·mL−1 TGF-β1; Treatment 1, 2, 3, 4, MCs cultured in DMEM containing 2 ng·mL−1 TGF-β1 + 0.1 nmol·L−1, 1 nmol·L−1, 10 nmol·L−1 or 100 nmol·L−1 urocortin 1 respectively. Treatment 5, MCs cultured in DMEM containing 2 ng·mL−1 TGF-β1 + 1 nmol·L−1 urocortin 1 + 5 nmol·L−1 astressin. *P < 0.05 compared with control; $$P < 0.01 compared with blank; #P < 0.05 compared with treatment 2. n= 6. DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; MC, mesangial cell; TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.