Premium
Fast reduction of peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells in healthy humans exposed to acute systemic hypoxia
Author(s) -
Colombo Elena,
Marconi Claudio,
Taddeo Adriano,
Cappelletti Monica,
Villa Maria Luisa,
Marzorati Mauro,
Porcelli Simone,
Vezzoli Alessandra,
Bella Silvia Della
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.223032
Subject(s) - progenitor cell , hypoxia (environmental) , endothelial progenitor cell , endothelium , homeostasis , bone marrow , medicine , endothelial stem cell , haematopoiesis , vasculogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , circulatory system , stem cell , apoptosis , immunology , biology , chemistry , oxygen , biochemistry , organic chemistry , in vitro
Non‐technical summary The endothelium is a thin layer of cells lining the interior surface of the entire circulatory system. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the endothelium, as they are recruited from the bone marrow to sites of endothelial injury where they contribute to blood vessel formation and repair. The factors regulating EPC mobilization and trafficking remain incompletely understood. We evaluated the time‐course effects of a single 4 h bout of severe hypoxic breathing (simulating 4100 m altitude) followed by 4 h restoration in room air. We show that hypoxia alone induces a rapid disappearance of EPCs from blood, probably sustained by a prompt cell marginalization followed by a late increase in EPC apoptosis. These observations may broaden our understanding of the mechanisms operated by EPCs to maintain endothelial homeostasis and may help to elucidate the potential role of EPCs in regenerative medicine.