Effect of antihypertensive treatment on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with mild essential hypertension.
It has been reported that the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflects the endogenous vascular repair ability, with the EPCs pool declining in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. However, their relationship with hypertension and the effects of anti-hypertensive treatment remain unclear. We randomized 29 patients with mild essential hypertension to receive barnidipine up to 20 mg or hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) up to 25 mg. Circulating EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Mononuclear cells were cultured with endothelial basal medium supplemented with EGM SingleQuots. EPCs were identified by positive double staining for both FITC-labeled Ulex europaeus agglutinin I and Dil-labeled acethylated low-density lipoprotein. After 3 and 6 months of treatment, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were significantly reduced. No difference was observed between drugs. An increase in the number of EPCs was observed after 3 and 6 months of anti-hypertensive treatment (p < 0.05). Barnidipine significantly increased EPCs after 3 and 6 months of treatment, whereas no effect was observed with HCT. No statistically significant correlation was observed between EPCs and clinical BP values. Our data suggest that antihypertensive treatment may increase the number of EPCs. However, we observed a different effect of barnidipine and HCT on EPCs, suggesting that, beyond its BP lowering effect, barnidipine may elicit additional beneficial properties, related to a healthier vasculature.
Clinica Medica, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Brescia, Italy.
Carolina
C
de Ciuceis
Annamaria
A
Pilu
Damiano
D
Rizzoni
Enzo
E
Porteri
Maria Lorenza
ML
Muiesan
Massimo
M
Salvetti
Anna
A
Paini
Eugenia
E
Belotti
Francesca
F
Zani
Gianluca E M
GE
Boari
Claudia Agabiti
CA
Rosei
Enrico Agabiti
EA
Rosei
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; C050699:mepirodipine; D009543:Nifedipine