Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Keywords

Apoptosis, Case-Control Studies, Caspase 3, Cell Movement, Colony-Forming Units Assay, Endothelium, Vascular, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prehypertension, Stem Cells

Abstract

Prehypertension is associated with significant damage to the coronary vasculature and increased rates of adverse cardiovascular events. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical to vascular repair and the formation of new blood vessels. We tested the hypothesis that prehypertension is associated with EPC dysfunction. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 83 middle-aged and older adults (51 M/32 F): 40 normotensive (age 53±2 yr; BP 111/74±1/1 mmHg) and 43 prehypertensive (54±2; 128/77±1/1 mmHg). EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood and EPC colony-forming capacity (colony-forming unit assay), migratory activity (Boyden chamber) and apoptotic susceptibility (active caspase-3 concentrations) were determined. There were no significant differences in either the number of EPC CFUs (10±2 vs. 9±1), EPC migration (1165±82 vs. 1120±84 fluorescent units), or active intracellular caspase-3 concentrations (2.7±0.3 vs. 2.3±0.2 ng/mL) between the normotensive and prehypertensive groups. When groups were stratified into low prehypertension (n=27; systolic BP: 120–129 mmHg) and high prehypertension (n=16; 130–139 mmHg), it was found that EPCs from the high prehypertensive group produced fewer (~65%, P<0.05) CFUs compared with the low prehypertensive (4±1 vs. 12±2) and normotensive adults. In conclusion, EPC colonyforming capacity is impaired only in prehypertensive adults with systolic BP greater than 130 mmHg. Prehypertension is not associated with migratory dysfunction or enhanced apoptosis of EPCs.

Publication Title

Journal of Human Hypertension

Volume

25

Issue

1

First Page

57

Last Page

62

Pages

13

Type

text

Format

application/pdf

Language

en

PMCID

PMC2895004

DOI of Published Version

10.1038/jhh.2010.31.

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Comments

This is the author(s) manuscript. The final edited version was published in the Journal of Human Hypertension (2011), 25(1): 57–62. doi:10.1038/jhh.2010.31.

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