Open AccessIncreased Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Nitric Oxide in Young Prehypertensive Women
Author(s) -
Zhen Yang,
Xiao Songhua,
Ren Zi,
Shen Hongwei,
Su Huanxing,
Tang YongBo,
Zeng Haitao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/jch.12493
Subject(s) - prehypertension , medicine , nitric oxide , progenitor cell , endothelial progenitor cell , endocrinology , immunology , stem cell , blood pressure , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
This study investigated the effect of sex differences on circulating endothelial progenitor cells ( EPC s) in prehypertension and its underlying mechanism. The authors found that premenopausal women show increased number and activity of circulating EPC s when compared with men, which was similar to enhanced nitric oxide ( NO ) level in plasma or culture medium. There was no difference in the number and activity of circulating EPC s and NO level between normotensive and prehypertensive premenopausal women. There was also no difference seen in levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte macrophage colony‐stimulating factor. Both number and activity of circulating EPC s were correlated with the level of NO . The present study firstly demonstrated that the number and activity of circulating EPC s were preserved in prehypertensive premenopausal women, which was related to the restoration of NO production. The sex differences in EPC s in prehypertension may be involved in the mechanism underlying vascular protection in premenopausal women.