CCN1 inhibition affects the function of endothelial progenitor cells under high-glucose condition

The impact of cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (Cyr61, also called CCN1) on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from diabetic-rat-derived whole peripheral and bone marrow remains poorly understood. Therefore, the expression levels of CCN1, CCN1-induced C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), and stromal-cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) were explored under high glucose (HG) conditions.

The aim of the study was to explore the effects of high CCN1 levels on EPC activity in diabetic rats through mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway modulation.

Primary EPCs were isolated from bone marrow and whole peripheral blood of streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats and controls. Cell migration, tube formation ability and viability were determined using transwell, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and Matrigel®-based capillary-like tube formation assays. Protein and gene expression levels were measured by western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

The study findings showed that EPC migration, viability and tube formation ability were significantly lower under HG conditions. High CCN1 expression levels restored EPC function by inducing SDF-1 and CXCR4 in EPCs under HG conditions. Furthermore, HG suppressed MEK/ERK phosphorylation, while an ERK1/2 agonist rescued EPC CCN1-SDF-1/CXCR4 expression under HG conditions through the activation of the MEK/ERK pathway.

This study demonstrates that high CCN1 expression levels restored EPC functions, partly by modulating MEK/ERK signaling. These findings provide a basis for developing novel therapeutic methods for diabetic vascular neogenesis and vascular injury repair.