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Isolation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Blood
Published on: September 14, 2017
Physical activity intervention improved the number and functionality of endothelial progenitor cells in low birth
Livia V Souza1, Franciele De Meneck1, Tiago Fernandes2
1Division of Nephrology, Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
Physical activity (PA) improves endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in low birth weight (LBW) children. A 10-week PA program enhanced EPC function by increasing nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiology
- Vascular biology
- Exercise physiology
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with impaired vascular health.
- Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a crucial role in vascular repair and function.
- Children with LBW may have compromised EPC mobilization and functionality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if a physical activity (PA) intervention improves angiogenic factors, EPC mobilization, and functionality in LBW children.
- To investigate the impact of PA on circulating EPCs and related biomarkers in this population.
Main Methods:
- A 10-week PA program was implemented in 35 LBW children (intensity: 75-85% HRR, frequency: 4x/week, duration: 45 min).
- Evaluations included anthropometrics, blood pressure, biochemical profile, EPC counts, EPC colony-forming units, and plasma levels of VEGF-A, NO, and MMPs 2 & 9.
- Statistical analysis assessed the effects of birth weight and the PA program on measured parameters.
Main Results:
- The PA program significantly improved waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness, and MMP-9 levels.
- Both birth weight and the PA program independently affected systolic blood pressure and EPC colony-forming units.
- Significant interactions between birth weight and PA were observed for circulating EPC number, NO, and VEGF-A levels.
- Changes in EPC number correlated positively with changes in NO and VEGF-A.
Conclusions:
- A 10-week PA intervention attenuates the negative impact of LBW on EPC number and function.
- The beneficial effects of PA are mediated through improvements in circulating NO and VEGF-A levels.
- PA represents a promising strategy to enhance vascular health in children born with low birth weight.
Background And Aims:
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an intervention with physical activity (PA) would promote positive effects on the angiogenic factors, mobilization, and functionality of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in children with low birth weight (LBW).
Methods And Results:
Thirty-five children participated in a 10-week PA program (intensity: 75-85% of heart rate reserve, frequency: four times/week, and duration: 45 min). Before and after the PA program, we evaluated anthropometric parameters, blood pressure levels, biochemical profile, number of EPCs, number of EPC colony forming units, and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), nitric oxide (NO), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9. We found a significant main effect of the PA program on waist circumference (ηp2 = 0.489), cardiorespiratory fitness (ηp2 = 0.463), and MMP-9 (ηp2 = 0.582). Birth weight or the PA program produced significant independent effects on systolic blood pressure (birth weight: ηp2 = 0.431; PA program: ηp2 = 0.615) and EPC colony forming units (birth weight: ηp2 = 0.541; PA program: ηp2 = 0.698) with no significant interactions. The combination of birth weight and the PA program produced a significant interaction effect on the number of circulating EPCs (ηp2 = 0.123), NO (ηp2 = 0.258), and VEGF-A (ηp2 = 0.175). The variation in the number of EPCs from baseline to 10 weeks of the PA program correlated positively with the change in NO (P = 0.002) and VEGF-A (P = 0.004).
Conclusions:
A 10-week PA program attenuates the adverse effect of LBW on the number and functionality of EPCs; this effect occurs through an improvement in circulating levels of NO and VEGF-A. CLINICAL TRIALS: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT02982967. Date: December/2016.
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