title: Mobilization of Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells following Finnish Sauna: A Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sauna bathing is claimed to provide benefits for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The current study aims at analyzing the induction of potential regenerative processes by quantifying the mobilization of bone marrow-derived stem cells into the peripheral blood of healthy adults following Finnish sauna.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy unbiased male volunteers (20-30 years old) were exposed to a Finnish sauna bath (3 × 10 min, 90°C). Venous blood samples were drawn before (baseline), immediately, and 6 h as well as 24 h after the sauna bath. Blood analysis included isolation of mononuclear cells, cell staining with mononuclear antibodies, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). For baseline and 24 h post-sauna samples colony-forming unit-Hill assays were applied to quantify endothelial progenitor cells (EPC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flow cytometry revealed an upregulation of circulating CD45+/CD309+ progenitor cells immediately after the sauna bath, however without reaching statistical significance. Circulating cell numbers of the CD45+CD34+, CD45+CD34+CD133+, and CD45+CD34+CD117+ populations did not show clear enhancements following sauna. EPC colony formation tended to be enhanced after sauna as compared to baseline values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral EPC numbers exhibited a moderate increase following Finnish sauna in a cohort of healthy young men. Furthermore, sauna bathing tended to increase EPC colony-forming capacity. These rather weak responses to thermotherapy might indicate a ceiling effect. In individuals exhibiting cardiovascular risk factors the effects may be more pronounced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Donndorf
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lube
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lux
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skorska
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kraft
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029002:Steam Bath; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD