%0 Journal Article %T Low-dose nifedipine rescues impaired endothelial progenitor cell-mediated angiogenesis in diabetic mice %A Peng Cheng %A Yang Li-jun %A Zhang Chuan %A Jiang Yu %A Shang Liu-wen-xin %A He Jia-bei %A Zhou Zhen-wei %A Tao Xia %A Tie Lu %A Chen Alex F. %A Xie He-hui %J Acta Pharmacologica Sinica %D 2022 %B 2022 %9 %! Low-dose nifedipine rescues impaired endothelial progenitor cell-mediated angiogenesis in diabetic mice %K %X It is of great clinical significance to develop potential novel strategies to prevent diabetic cardiovascular complications. Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) dysfunction is a key contributor to diabetic vascular complications. In the present study we evaluated whether low-dose nifedipine could rescue impaired EPC-mediated angiogenesis and prevent cardiovascular complications in diabetic mice. Diabetes was induced in mice by five consecutive injections of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg·kg −1 ·d −1 , i.p.). Diabetic mice were treated with low-dose nifedipine (1.5 mg·kg −1 ·d −1 , i.g.) for six weeks. Then, circulating EPCs in the peripheral blood were quantified, and bone marrow-derived EPCs (BM-EPCs) were prepared. We showed that administration of low-dose nifedipine significantly increased circulating EPCs, improved BM-EPCs function, promoted angiogenesis, and reduced the cerebral ischemic injury in diabetic mice. Furthermore, we found that low-dose nifedipine significantly increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and intracellular NO levels, and decreased the levels of intracellular O .− and thrombospondin-1/2 (TSP-1/2, a potent 2 angiogenesis inhibitor) in BM-EPCs of diabetic mice. In cultured BM-EPCs, co-treatment with nifedipine (0.1, 1 μM) dose- dependently protected against high-glucose-induced impairment of migration, and suppressed high-glucose-induced TSP-1 secretion and superoxide overproduction. In mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion, intravenous injection of diabetic BM-EPCs treated with nifedipine displayed a greater ability to promote local angiogenesis and reduce cerebral ischemic injury compared to injection of diabetic BM-EPCs treated with vehicle, and the donor-derived BM-EPCs homed to the recipient ischemic brain. In conclusion, low-dose nifedipine can enhance EPCs’ angiogenic potential and protect against cerebral ischemic injury in diabetic mice. It is implied that chronic treatment with low-dose nifedipine may be a safe and economic manner to prevent ischemic diseases (including stroke) in diabetes. %U http://www.chinaphar.com/article/view/10738 %V 44 %N 1 %P 44–57 %@ 1745-7254