Regular exercise improves age-related decline in arterial elasticity by enhancing number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.15.009

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that exercise can increase the number and ability of endothelial progenitor cells which is beneficial to the improvement of endothelial function. However, it is still unclear whether exercise can improve age-related decline in arterial elasticity by enhancing number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether regular exercise-induced enhanced circulating endothelial progenitor cells improves age-related decline in arterial elasticity in healthy men.
METHODS: Effects of regular exercise on circulating endothelial progenitor cells of 10 older and 10 young healthy men undergoing 3 months regular exercise were observed. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to evaluate the number of CD34 and KDR double-positive labeled circulating endothelial progenitor cells before and after exercise, and acetylated low-density lipoprotein; and lectin fluorescent staining method was used to evaluate the number of cultured endothelial progenitor cells. The migratory and proliferative activities of endothelial progenitor cells were also evaluated. In addition, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities of older and young sedentary healthy men were measured.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with young healthy men, the older healthy men exhibited decreased number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and increased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the circulating endothelial progenitor cells positive for CD34 and KDR in the peripheral blood increased after regular exercise. The acetylated-low-density lipoprotein and lectin fluorescent staining method indicated that the cultured endothelial progenitor cells also increased after exercise. The proliferative and migratory activities of cultured endothelial progenitor cells were significantly higher after exercise. However, the increased number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and decreased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities of older sedentary healthy men were higher. There was a closely positive correlation between increased circulating endothelial progenitor cells and decreased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities. Multivariate analysis identified increased proliferative activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells as an independent predictor of decreased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities. Regular exercise-induced enhanced number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells attenuates age-related decline in arterial elasticity, indicating that the modulation of exercise on circulating endothelial progenitor cells may be the mechanism underlying exercise-exhibited protection against age-related vascular injury.

Key words: tissue construction, vascular tissue construction, endothelial progenitor cells, migration, proliferation, arterial elasticity, vascular elasticity, aging, exercise, pulse wave velocities, National Natural Science Foundation of China

CLC Number:

R318

Yang Zhen1, Zhang Yuan-yuan1, Xia Wen-hao, Luo Chu-fan, Chen Long, Jin Ya-fei, Ou Zhi-jun, Liao Xin-xue, Tao Jun. Regular exercise improves age-related decline in arterial elasticity by enhancing number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.15.009.

Figures/Tables 2

2.4 两组志愿者运动前后脉搏波传导速度的变化两组志愿者规律运动后脉搏波传导速度较运动前均显著下降(P < 0.05和P < 0.05)，但老年志愿者下降程度(5.1%)较青年志愿者下降(2.6%)更为明显(P < 0.05)，见表2。上述结果表明规律运动能改善健康成人脉搏波传导速度，但老年志愿者脉搏波传导速度改善程度更为明显。 2.5 两组志愿者运动前后循环内皮祖细胞数量和功能的变化流式细胞仪显示两组志愿者规律运动后CD34和KDR双阳性的循环内皮祖细胞水平较运动前增加 (P < 0.05和P < 0.05)，荧光标记方法显示两组志愿者规律运动后乙酰化低密度脂蛋白及凝集素双染色的内皮祖细胞数量较运动前增加(P < 0.05和P < 0.05)，但老年志愿者循环内皮祖细胞数量增加(83%和60%)较青年志愿者增加(22%和35%)更为明显(P < 0.05)，见表2。体外功能检测显示两组志愿者规律运动后循环内皮祖细胞迁移和增殖能力较运动前增加(P < 0.05和P < 0.05)，但老年志愿者循环内皮祖细胞迁移和增殖能力增加(114%和60%)较青年志愿者增加(31%和17%)更为明显(P < 0.05)，见表2。上述结果表明规律运动能明显增加健康成人循环内皮祖细胞的数量和功能，但老年志愿者循环内皮祖细胞数量和功能的改善更为明显。 2.6 规律运动改善脉搏波传导速度和上调循环内皮祖细胞数量或功能的相关分析为进一步探讨规律运动改善脉搏波传导速度水平与上调循环内皮祖细胞数量或功能的可能联系，对规律运动前后两组志愿者脉搏波传导速度水平下降与循环内皮祖细胞数量或功能增加倍数进行了相关分析。结果显示，两组志愿者规律运动前后脉搏波传导速度水平下降和循环内皮祖细胞数量增加倍数呈明显相关，见图1。同时，两组志愿者规律运动前后脉搏波传导速度水平下降和循环内皮祖细胞迁移或增殖能力增加倍数亦呈明显相关，见图2。上述结果提示，规律运动改善脉搏波传导速度水平与其上调健康成人循环内皮祖细胞数量和功能有关。 2.7 规律运动改善脉搏波传导速度的独立预测因素为进一步分析规律运动改善脉搏波传导速度可能的独立预测因素，采用多元回归分析多种临床因素(包括体质量指数，收缩压，舒张压，低密度脂蛋白胆固醇，血清总胆固醇，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇，三酰甘油，空腹血糖和超敏C-反应蛋白等)和循环内皮祖细胞数量或功能变化对脉搏波传导速度变化的影响。结果显示，乙酰化低密度脂蛋白及凝集素双染色内皮祖细胞和内皮祖细胞增殖能力是运动改善脉搏波传导速度的独立预测因素，见表3。"

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