Sex differences in the number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in prehypertension

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2015.19.019

Abstract：BACKGROUND:The sex differences in circulating endothelial progenitor cels under the condition of prehypertension are stil unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is a sex difference in circulating endothelial progenitor cels in prehypertension. METHODS:Seventy-nine volunteers, (46.4±4.5) years old, were divided into four groups: normotensive premenopausal women (n=18), prehypertensive premenopausal women (n=21), normotensive men (n=21) and prehypertensive men (n=19). Flow cytometry analysis was used to evaluate the number of CD34 and KDR double-positive labeled circulating endothelial progenitor cels in the four groups, and acetylated low density lipoprotein (LDL) and lectin fluorescent staining method were used to evaluate the number of cultured endothelial progenitor cels. The migration and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cels were detected. In addition, the estradiol level in plasma was measured in the four groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Flow cytometry analysis showed that the number of CD34+/KDR+ circulating endothelial progenitor cels in normotensive and prehypertensive premenopausal women was higher than that in normotensive and prehypertensive men (alP < 0.05). The acetylated-LDL and lectin fluorescent staining method indicated that the cultured endothelial progenitor cels also increased in normotensive and prehypertensive premenopausal women (P < 0.05). The proliferative and migratory activities of cultured endothelial progenitor cels were higher in normotensive and prehypertensive premenopausal women compared with normotensive and prehypertensive men (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the migratory or proliferative activity of endothelial progenitor cels between normotensive and prehypertensive premenopausal women (P > 0.05). However, the migratory or proliferative activity of endothelial progenitor cels was higher in normotensive men than in prehypertensive men (P < 0.05). The level of plasma estradiol in normotensive women and prehypertensive premenopausal women was significantly higher than that in normotensive and prehypertensive men (P < 0.05). The plasma estradiol level showed a linear correlation with the number or activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cels (P < 0.05).In al, sex differences in the number or activity of endothelial progenitor cels exist in prehypertension. Therefore, the number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cels in prehypertensive premenopausal women were preserved when compared with prehypertensive men, which may be related to the enhanced plasma estradiol level.