Aging disminished circulating endothelial progenitors cells in ApoE-deficient mice.

LEMBO, CARINA; RENNA, NICOLÁS; CRUZADO, MONTSERRAT; MIATELLO, ROBERTO MIGUEL; CASTRO, CLAUDIA

Mendoza

Congreso; XXVI Reunión de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2008

sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Aging diminished circulating endothelial progenitors cells in ApoE-deficient mice. Lembo C?, Renna N#*, Cruzado M#, Miatello R#* and Castro C#* ?Becaria Agencia FONCyT, #FCM, UNCuyo, *IMBECU, CONICET. ccastro@fcm.uncu.edu.ar Level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), characterized by expressing the antigens CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), is considered a better predictor of vascular reactivity than the presence of conventional risk factors. This study was performed to isolate and characterize circulating EPCs from atherosclerosis-prone ApoE-/- mice during aging. Heparin blood samples from severely atherosclerotic, 10-month-old ApoE-/- mice and non atherosclerotic, 4-week-old ApoE-/- mice were collected. Cells were stained with FITC-conjugated CD34 and phycoerythrin-conjugated VEGFR-2 antibodies (BD). Flow cytometry analysis was performed using FACS (BD). Confocal immunofluorescence was also assessed. Circulating CD34+/VEGFR2+ cells differed numerically between young and old ApoE-/- mice (5.4% ± 0.3 vs. 2.5% ± 0.4; n=4 each group, p