title: Beneficial effects of statins on endothelial progenitor cells.
abstract: In recent years, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been demonstrated to play an important role during tissue vascularization and endothelium homeostasis in adults. In addition, EPCs have been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, such that a decreased number of EPCs may not only be a risk indicator but also a potential therapeutic target. Of the many agents that have been examined to increase EPCs and enhance their function, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors or statins are one of the most intriguing. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that statins promote EPC mobilization, proliferation, migration, adhesion, differentiation and reduce senescence and apoptosis independent of their serum lipid-lowering effect. This review summarizes the understanding of current mechanisms explaining the myriad of beneficial effects of statins on EPCs and discusses future challenges for studies involving statins and subpopulations of EPCs. However, the pharmacologic mechanisms of action of statins on EPCs remain at the cellular level, whereas the putative molecular mechanisms await further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shengying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Linsen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors