Abstract
Vascular endothelium is the main organ, suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In this review, the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the regeneration of the endothelium and in the formation of new blood vessels is considered. Mechanisms of migration and mobilization of EPCs from the bone marrow to the damage zone are described. The analyzed data show that CVD and DM cause the decrease in the number and the disturbance of the function of EPCs. The data on the heterogeneity of the population of EPCs are presented in article. The various combinations of surface markers for identification of these cells are assessed. At the same time, protocols for the identification of EPCs have not been developed, which confirms the relevance of the search for the phenotype of EPCs, which would be adopted as the standard.
Highlights
Vascular endothelium is the main organ, suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD)
Vascular repair and postnatal angiogenesis are associated with endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are a unique population of cells that participate in the formation of blood vessels due to angiogenesis and vasculogenesis [4]
One of the most important inductors of angiogenesis is the group of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), angiogenic cytokines released under the influence of hypoxia by activated platelets and leukocytes
Summary
One of the most important inductors of angiogenesis is the group of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), angiogenic cytokines released under the influence of hypoxia by activated platelets and leukocytes. They include circulating progenitor cells of other populations, as well as cells of the monocyte-macrophage line, which are capable to differentiate into endotheliocytes This is confirmed by the fact that CD14+-myeloid subpopulations express both hematopoietic and endothelial markers and are able to differentiate in EPCs [43]. It is considered that circulating EPCs with the phenotype CD34+ CD45- have the greatest ability to differentiate into mature ECs and are most actively mobilized at endothelial damage. It is determined that CD34+CD45--cells of non-hemopoietic origin are phenotypically indistinguishable from BM-EPCs and functionally differ only in ability to form a colony during cultivation [59] This creates difficulties in identifying the origin of EPCs in the case of verification of CD34 antigen expression in CD45-negative mononuclear cells. The functional ability of EPCs to stimulate the neoangiogenesis is not an attribute of their origin and is not directly related to their phenotype [61]
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