title: Regular exercise-induced increased number and activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells attenuates age-related decline in arterial elasticity in healthy men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deficiency in number and activity of circulating EPCs is associated with reduced arterial elasticity in humans with advancing aging. Physical exercise can increase the number and activity of circulating EPCs in humans. Here we investigated whether regular exercise-induced enhanced circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) improves age-related decline in arterial elasticity in healthy men.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, the number and activity of circulating EPCs as well as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) of young and older sedentary or endurance-trained healthy men were studied. Then we observed the effect of regular exercise on circulating EPCs and baPWV of 10 older and 10 young sedentary healthy men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both sedentary and endurance-trained men, the number and activity of circulating EPCs were significantly low in older men compared with young men, which was paralleled to increased baPWV. After three months of regular exercise, the number and activity of circulating EPCs increased, and the baPWV of 10 older and 10 young sedentary healthy men decreased. However, the increased number and activity of circulating EPCs and decreased baPWV of older sedentary healthy men were higher. There was a close correlation between circulating EPCs and baPWV. Multivariate analysis identified proliferative activity of circulating EPCs as an independent predictor of baPWV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates for the first time that regular physical exercise-induced enhanced circulating EPCs attenuates age-related decline in arterial elasticity in healthy men. These findings provide novel insights into the protective effects of exercise on age-related vascular injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension and Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wen-Hao
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-Yue
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Guang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xin-Xue
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ya-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult