High-density lipoprotein cholesterol affects early endothelial progenitor cell number and endothelial function in obese women

Abstract

Objective: In order to improve our understanding of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) cardiovascular (CV) impact in obesity, the association of HDL-C plasma level with circulating early endothelial progenitor cell (early-EPC) number and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) in obese women with normal or high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) plasma levels was evaluated. Design and Methods: One hundred thirteen obese female subjects and a control group of 78 healthy female subjects were recruited. Circulating early-EPC were assessed by single-and two-color flow cytometric analyses with a fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACScan) flow cytometer. EDV was evaluated as response to ischemia by strain gauge plethysmography. Results: Both early-EPC number and EDV were significantly decreased in obese women compared with the control group. Obese women with low HDL-C showed a further decrease of early-EPC and EDV in the presence of both high or normal LDL-C plasmatic levels. In the normal HDL-C level subgroup, hypercholesterolemic and nonhypercholesterolemic subjects showed no difference in early-EPC number, whereas slight EDV impairment was present in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Conclusion: In obese women, low HDL-C is associated to decreased early-EPC number and impaired EDV, suggesting the need to assess whether evaluation of early-EPC and EDV may increase HDL-C prognostic value in the stratification of CV risk.

Functional Neural–Bone Marrow Pathways

“…For example, there are studies that did not find a difference in EPCs between healthy and hypertensive humans, 95 while others linked dysfunctional EPCs only with hypertension that was associated with other comorbidities. 96, 97 In one such study Delva et al 95 found no significant differences in EPC numbers and function between a group of carefully selected patients exhibiting a hypertensive phenotype and control subjects. However, this patient group may have had less severe hypertension because their treatment employed no more than two antihypertensive medications, namely RAS and beta blockers, both of which may directly affect the function of EPCs.…”

Dysfunctional Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Cardiovascular Diseases

“…56 In addition to the ability to differentiate into endothelial cells, EPCs have been reported to be able to reduce platelet activation and to modulate their proinflammatory and antithrombogenic properties in hypertension associated with hypercholesterolemia. 21,55,58,59 Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that oxidative stress is involved in hyperlipidemia-induced endothelial injury and dysfunction. Experimental studies and clinical trials have shown that reduced numbers and impaired functional capacity of EPCs occurred in patients with hypercholesterolemia or in cell culture with ox-LDL, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol could be atheroprotective by increasing EPC numbers.…”

The continuums of impairment in vascular reactivity across the spectrum of cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis

“…The systematic search resulted in the inclusion of 193 from a total of 4641 potential articles (Figure ). From the 193 studies included in the analyses, vascular reactivity was assessed in a total of 26570 patients that were considered healthy (n = 7226), overweight (n = 7605), or those with obesity (n = 1758) or that were diagnosed with metabolic sy...…”