Artikel
Erythropoietin Regulates Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Erythropoietin reguliert Endotheliale Vorläuferzellen
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Autoren
Veröffentlicht: | 11. November 2004 |
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Gliederung
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Background
Circulating bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) promote vascular reparative processes and neo-angiogenesis, and their number in peripheral blood correlates with endothelial function and cardiovascular risk. We tested the hypothesis that the cytokine erythropoietin (EPO) stimulates EPC in humans.
Methods and Results
We studied 11 patients with renal anemia and 4 healthy subjects who received standard doses of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO). Treatment with rhEPO caused a significant mobilization of CD34+/45+ circulating progenitor cells in peripheral blood (flow-cytometry), and increased the number of functionally active EPCs (in-vitro assay) in patients (week 2: 312 ± 31%; week 8: 308 ± 40%;both p<0.01 vs. baseline) as well as in healthy subjects (week 8: 194 ± 15%, p<0.05 vs. baseline). The effect on EPCs was already observed with a rhEPO dose of about 30 IU/kg/week. Administration of rhEPO increased the number of functionally active EPCs by differentiation in vitro in a dose dependent manner, assessed in cell culture and by tube formation assay. Furthermore, rhEPO activates the Akt protein kinase pathway in EPCs.
Conclusions
Erythropoietin increases the number of functionally active EPCs in humans. Administration of rhEPO or EPO analogues may open new therapeutic strategies in regenerative cardiovascular medicine.