Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-12-31
pubmed:abstractText
Homocysteine (Hcy) is a risk factor for vascular dysfunction. High levels of Hcy may result in vascular injury accelerating atherosclerosis leading to ischemia. After ischemia, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) migrate from bone marrow to repair damaged sites either through direct incorporation of EPCs or by repopulating mature endothelial cells. This study looks into the relationship between increased Hcy in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and EPCs. Some patients with hyperhomocysteinemia were treated with B vitamins to evaluate if the treatment reverses the elevated Hcy and its impact on their EPC levels. EPCs were treated with Hcy to determine the in vitro effects of Hcy. Our clinical findings show that elevated Hcy levels have an inverse relationship with EPC levels and B vitamin intervention can reverse this effect. Our in vitro work shows that Hcy-mediated EPC toxicity is due to apoptosis involving caspase-8, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation. Vitamin B(6), and B(9) significantly impair Hcy-mediated EPC caspase-3 activation in vitro. Our clinical and in vitro data together indicate that increased Hcy results in a decrease in EPC numbers. This decrease in EPC by Hcy may be occurring through increased apoptosis and B vitamins (B(6), B(9)) intervention can attenuate such effects.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
1559-7016
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
29
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
157-65
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Homocysteine reduces endothelial progenitor cells in stroke patients through apoptosis.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Stroke Research Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't