Icariin promotes angiogenic differentiation and prevents oxidative stress-induced autophagy in endothelial progenitor cells

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yubo Tang - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Center for Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery (OUPC), Centre for translational bone, joint and soft tissue research (Author)
  • Angela Jacobi - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, University Center for Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery (OUPC) (Author)
  • Corina Vater - , University Center for Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Lijin Zou - , Nanchang University (Author)
  • Xuenong Zou - , Sun Yat-Sen University (Author)
  • Maik Stiehler - , University Center for Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)

Abstract

Reduced tissue levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and functional impairment of endothelium are frequently observed in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The vascular endothelium is specifically sensitive to oxidative stress, and this is one of the mechanisms that causes widespread endothelial dysfunction in most cardiovascular diseases and disorders. Hence attention has increasingly been paid to enhance mobilization and differentiation of EPCs for therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Icariin, a natural bioactive component known from traditional Chinese Medicine, can induce angiogenic differentiation and inhibit oxidative stress-induced cell dysfunction in bone marrow-derived EPCs (BM-EPCs), and, if so, through what mechanisms. We observed that treatment of BM-EPCs with Icariin significantly promoted cell migration and capillary tube formation, substantially abrogated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptotic and autophagic programmed cell death that was linked to the reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and restored mitochondrial membrane potential. Icariin downregulated endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3, as well as nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase expression upon H2O2 induction. These antiapoptotic and antiautophagic effects of Icariin are possibly mediated by restoring the loss of mammalian target of rapamycin /p70S6K/4EBP1 phosphorylation as well as attenuation of ATF2 and ERK1/2 protein levels after H2O2 treatment. In summary, favorable modulation of the angiogenesis and redox states in BM-EPCs make Icariin a promising proangiogenic agent both enhancing vasculogenesis and protecting against endothelial dysfunction.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1863-1877
Number of pages15
JournalStem cells
Volume33
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2015
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 25787271

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/4EBP1, Angiogenesis, Autophagy, Endothelial progenitor cell, Icariin, p38 MAPK/ATF2