Endothelial progenitor thrombospondin-1 mediates diabetes-induced delay in reendothelialization following arterial injury

Circ Res. 2006 Mar 17;98(5):697-704. doi: 10.1161/01.RES.0000209948.50943.ea. Epub 2006 Feb 16.

Abstract

Delayed reendothelialization contributes to restenosis after angioplasty and stenting in diabetes. Prior data have shown that bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to endothelial recovery after arterial injury. We investigated the hypothesis that the EPC contribution to reendothelialization may be impaired in diabetes, resulting in delayed reendothelialization. Reendothelialization was significantly reduced in diabetic mice compared with nondiabetic mice in a wire-induced carotid denudation model. The EPC contribution to neoendothelium was significantly reduced in Tie2/LacZ BM-transplanted diabetic versus nondiabetic mice. BM from diabetic and nondiabetic mice was transplanted into nondiabetic mice, revealing that reendothelialization was impaired in the recipients of diabetic BM. To examine the relative roles of denuded artery versus EPCs in diabetes, we injected diabetic and nondiabetic EPCs intravenously after arterial injury in diabetic and nondiabetic mice. Diabetic EPCs recruitment to the neoendothelium was significantly reduced, regardless of the diabetic status of the recipient mice. In vitro, diabetic EPCs exhibited decreased migration and adhesion activities. Vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelial NO synthase expressions were also significantly reduced in diabetic EPCs. Notably, thrombospondin-1 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in diabetic EPCs, associating with the decreased EPC adhesion activity in vitro and in vivo. Reendothelialization is impaired by malfunctioning EPCs in diabetes. Diabetic EPCs have phenotypic differences involving thrombospondin-1 expression compared with nondiabetic EPCs, revealing potential novel mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets to improve reendothelialization and reduce restenosis in diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Movement
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Diabetes Mellitus / physiopathology*
  • Endothelial Cells / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / physiology
  • Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Thrombospondin 1 / physiology*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / physiology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Thrombospondin 1
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III