The impact of different forms of exercise on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in cardiovascular and metabolic disease

Preventive Effects of Physical Activity on the Development of Atherosclerosis: A Narrative Review

Atherosclerosis, a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), remains a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis involves a complex interplay of endothelial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, lipid accumulation, and arterial stiffness. Among the various preventive strategies, physical activity has emerged as a highly effective, non-pharmacological intervention. This review examines the preventive effects of different types of exercise-specifically aerobic exercise, resistance training, and combined training-on atherosclerosis development. Drawing on evidence from landmark studies, we explore the underlying mechanisms by which these exercise modalities improve endothelial function, reduce systemic inflammation, and enhance lipid profiles, thereby mitigating the progression of atherosclerosis. Additionally, the review discusses the dose-response relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular health, the differential effects of exercise intensities, and the potential risks associated with high-intensity training. The synergistic benefits of combined aerobic and resistance training are highlighted, particularly in populations with metabolic syndrome or other high-risk conditions. Emerging trends in personalized exercise medicine and the use of wearable technology for monitoring physical activity are also addressed, underscoring the potential for tailored exercise prescriptions to maximize cardiovascular health. By integrating current research findings, this review provides insights into effective exercise strategies for reducing cardiometabolic risk and emphasizes the importance of personalized approaches in exercise interventions.

Potential preservative mechanisms of cardiac rehabilitation pathways on endothelial function in coronary heart disease

Cardiac rehabilitation, a comprehensive exercise-based lifestyle and medical management, is effective in decreasing morbidity and improving life quality in patients with coronary heart disease. Endothelial function, an irreplaceable indicator in coronary heart disease progression, is measured by various methods in traditional cardiac rehabilitation pathways, including medicinal treatment, aerobic training, and smoking cessation. Nevertheless, studies on the effect of some emerging cardiac rehabilitation programs on endothelial function are limited. This article briefly reviewed the endothelium-beneficial effects of different cardiac rehabilitation pathways, including exercise training, lifestyle modification and psychological intervention in patients with coronary heart disease, and related experimental models, and summarized both uncovered and potential cellular and molecular mechanisms of the beneficial roles of various cardiac rehabilitation pathways on endothelial function. In exercise training and some lifestyle interventions, the enhanced bioavailability of nitric oxide, increased circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and decreased oxidative stress are major contributors to preventing endothelial dysfunction in coronary heart disease. Moreover, the preservation of endothelial-dependent hyperpolarizing factors and inflammatory suppression play roles. On the one hand, to develop more endothelium-protective rehabilitation methods in coronary heart disease, adequately designed and sized randomized multicenter clinical trials should be advanced using standardized cardiac rehabilitation programs and existing assessment methods. On the other hand, additional studies using suitable experimental models are warranted to elucidate the relationship between some new interventions and endothelial protection in both macro- and microvasculature.

Vascular regenerative cell content in South Asians: the key learnings

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the literature linking elevated rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals of South Asian ethnicity with the severity of circulating vascular regenerative cell exhaustion.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent findings have demonstrated reduced bioavailability of pro-vascular progenitor cell subsets in individuals with T2D and obesity. Depletion of vascular regenerative cells in the bone marrow - coupled with decreased mobilization into circulation - can negatively impact the capacity for vascular repair and exacerbate CVD risk. Several recent studies have established that although South Asian individuals possess similar inflammatory cell burden compared with other ethnicities, they exhibit marked decreases in vessel regenerative hematopoietic progenitor cells and monocyte subsets. Validation of these findings and investigation the functional capacity of vascular regenerative cell subsets to mediate vessel repair is highly warranted.

SUMMARY

Vascular regenerative cells play a key role coordinating angiogenic and arteriogenic vessel remodelling. Recent studies have demonstrated that South Asian individuals with T2D show severe depletion in circulating vascular regenerative cell subsets. Because the reversal of vascular regenerative cell exhaustion by current glucose-lowering pharmaceutical agents has recently been documented, early intervention to bolster vascular regenerative cell content may prevent CVD co-morbidities in South Asian individuals with cardiometabolic disease.

Exercise for patients with chronic kidney disease: from cells to systems to function

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is among the leading causes of death and disability, affecting an estimated 800 million adults globally. The underlying pathophysiology of CKD is complex creating challenges to its management. Primary risk factors for the development and progression of CKD include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, age, obesity, diet, inflammation, and physical inactivity. The high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in patients with CKD increases the risk for secondary consequences such as cardiovascular disease and peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, the increased prevalence of obesity and chronic levels of systemic inflammation in CKD have downstream effects on critical cellular functions regulating homeostasis. The combination of these factors results in the deterioration of health and functional capacity in those living with CKD. Exercise offers protective benefits for the maintenance of health and function with age, even in the presence of CKD. Despite accumulating data supporting the implementation of exercise for the promotion of health and function in patients with CKD, a thorough description of the responses and adaptations to exercise at the cellular, system, and whole body levels is currently lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date comprehensive review of the effects of exercise training on vascular endothelial progenitor cells at the cellular level; cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neural factors at the system level; and physical function, frailty, and fatigability at the whole body level in patients with CKD.

Vascular regenerative cells in cardiometabolic disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review will provide an overview of the recent literature linking the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic disease with the depletion and dysfunction of circulating vascular regenerative (VR) cell content. Moreover, we provide rationale for the use of VR cells as a biomarker for cardiovascular risk and the use of pharmacological agents to improve VR cell content.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies demonstrate the potential of VR cells as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk and as a therapeutic target. Notably, lipid-lowering agents, antihyperglycemic therapies such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, as well as exercise and weight loss, have all been found to improve VR cell content, providing mechanistic evidence supporting a role in mitigating adverse cardiovascular outcomes in people with cardiometabolic-based disease.

SUMMARY

The importance of VR cells as a biomarker in assessing cardiovascular risk is becoming increasingly apparent. This review highlights recent literature supporting the accurate use of VR cell characterization to monitor the capacity for vessel repair and novel strategies to improve vessel health. Future research is required to validate and optimize these emerging approaches.

Exercise Promotes Tissue Regeneration: Mechanisms Involved and Therapeutic Scope

Exercise has well-recognized beneficial effects on the whole body. Previous studies suggest that exercise could promote tissue regeneration and repair in various organs. In this review, we have summarized the major effects of exercise on tissue regeneration primarily mediated by stem cells and progenitor cells in skeletal muscle, nervous system, and vascular system. The protective function of exercise-induced stem cell activation under pathological conditions and aging in different organs have also been discussed in detail. Moreover, we have described the primary molecular mechanisms involved in exercise-induced tissue regeneration, including the roles of growth factors, signaling pathways, oxidative stress, metabolic factors, and non-coding RNAs. We have also summarized therapeutic approaches that target crucial signaling pathways and molecules responsible for exercise-induced tissue regeneration, such as IGF1, PI3K, and microRNAs. Collectively, the comprehensive understanding of exercise-induced tissue regeneration will facilitate the discovery of novel drug targets and therapeutic strategies.

Maximal Exercise Improves the Levels of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Heart Failure Patients

The impact of exercise on the levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), a marker of endothelial repair and angiogenesis, and circulating endothelial cells (CECs), an indicator of endothelial damage, in heart failure patients is largely unknown. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a single exercise bout on the circulating levels of EPCs and CECs in heart failure patients. Thirteen patients with heart failure underwent a symptom-limited maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test to assess exercise capacity. Before and after exercise testing, blood samples were collected to quantify EPCs and CECs by flow cytometry. The circulating levels of both cells were also compared to the resting levels of 13 volunteers (age-matched group). The maximal exercise bout increased the levels of EPCs by 0.5% [95% Confidence Interval, 0.07 to 0.93%], from 4.2 × 10−3 ± 1.5 × 10−3% to 4.7 × 10−3 ± 1.8 × 10−3% (p = 0.02). No changes were observed in the levels of CECs. At baseline, HF patients presented reduced levels of EPCs compared to the age-matched group (p = 0.03), but the exercise bout enhanced circulating EPCs to a level comparable to the age-matched group (4.7 × 10−3 ± 1.8 × 10−3% vs. 5.4 × 10−3 ± 1.7 × 10−3%, respectively, p = 0.14). An acute bout of exercise improves the potential of endothelial repair and angiogenesis capacity by increasing the circulating levels of EPCs in patients with heart failure.

Exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis: impact of age, sex, angiocrines and cellular mediators

Exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis is a well-known physiological adaptation that occurs in humans in response to exercise training and can lead to endurance performance benefits, as well as improvements in cardiovascular and skeletal tissue health. An increase in capillary density in skeletal muscle improves diffusive oxygen exchange and waste extraction, and thus greater fatigue resistance, which has application to athletes but also to the general population. Exercise-induced angiogenesis can significantly contribute to improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic health, such as the increase in muscle glucose uptake, important for the prevention of diabetes. Recently, our understanding of the mechanisms by which angiogenesis occurs with exercise has grown substantially. This review will detail the biochemical, cellular and biomechanical signals for exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis, including recent work on extracellular vesicles and circulating angiogenic cells. In addition, the influence of age, sex, exercise intensity/duration, as well as recent observations with the use of blood flow restricted exercise, will also be discussed in detail. This review will provide academics and practitioners with mechanistic and applied evidence for optimising training interventions to promote physical performance through manipulating capillarisation in skeletal muscle.

Circulating Endothelial Progenitor and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Biomarkers for Monitoring Disease Status and Responses to Exercise

Noncommunicable chronic diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D), pose significant health challenges globally. Important advances have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiologal mechanisms and treatment of noncommunicable diseases in recent years. Lack of physical activity is a primary contributor to many noncommunicable diseases including metabolic syndrome, T2D, CVD, and obesity. Certain diabetes medications and non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as physical activity and exercise, are shown to be effective in decreasing the CVD risks associated with heart disease, stroke, obesity, prediabetes, and T2D. The ability to measure and analyze circulating adult stem cells (ASCs) has gained particular interest due to their potential to identify at-risk individuals and implications in various therapeutics. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to (1) provide an overview of ASCs; specifically endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), (2) describe the responses of these cells to acute and chronic exercise, and (3) highlight the potential effect of exercise on EPCs and MSCs in aging and disease. EPCs are circulating cells, abundantly available in peripheral blood, bone marrow, and umbilical cord, and are defined by cell surface markers such as CD34+. EPCs are expected to play an important role in angiogenesis and neovascularization and have been implicated in the treatment of CVD. MSCs are essential for maintaining tissue and organ homeostasis. MSCs are defined as multipotent heterogeneous cells that can proliferate in vitro as plastic-adherent cells, have fibroblast-like morphology, form colonies in vitro, and can differentiate into ostyeoblasts, adipocytes, chondroblasts, and myoblasts. In the presence of aging and disease, EPCs and MSCs decrease in quantity and functional capacity. Importantly, exercise facilitates EPC differentiation and production from bone marrow and also helps to promote migration and homing to the hypoxic and damaged tissue which in turn improve angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Similarly, exercise stimulates increases in proliferation and migratory activity of MSCs. Despite the reported benefits of exercise on EPC and MSC number and function, little is known regarding the optimal exercise prescription for aging and clinical populations. Moreover, the interactions between medications and exercise on EPCs and MSCs is currently unclear. Use of ASCs as a biomarker have the potential to revolutionize the management of patients with a variety of metabolic and obesity related disorders and also pro-inflammatory diseases. Further investigation of clinical entities are urgently needed to understand the implications of interventions such as exercise, diet, and various medications on EPC and MSC quantity and function in aging and clinical populations.

Endothelial progenitor cell mobilization based on exercise volume in patients with cardiovascular disease and healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a vital role in protecting endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Physical exercise stimulates the mobilization of EPCs, and along with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), promotes EPC differentiation, and contributes to vasculogenesis. The present meta-analysis examines the exercise-induced EPC mobilization and has an impact on VEGF in patients with CVD and healthy individuals. Database research was conducted (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library of Controlled Trials) by using an appropriate algorithm to indicate the exercise-induced EPC mobilization studies. Eligibility criteria included EPC measurements following exercise in patients with CVD and healthy individuals. A continuous random effect model meta-analysis (PROSPERO-CRD42019128122) was used to calculate mean differences in EPCs (between baseline and post-exercise values or between an experimental and control group). A total of 1460 participants (36 studies) were identified. Data are presented as standard mean difference (Std.MD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Aerobic training stimulates the mobilization of EPCs and increases VEGF in patients with CVD (EPCs: Std.MD: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.70-1.76; VEGF: Std.MD: 0.76, 95% CI:0.16-1.35) and healthy individuals (EPCs: Std.MD: 1.11, 95% CI:0.53-1.69; VEGF: Std.MD: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.01-1.48). Acute aerobic exercise (Std.MD: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.00-1.80) and resistance exercise (Std.MD: 0.46, 95%CI: 0.10-0.82) enhance EPC numbers in healthy individuals. Combined aerobic and resistance training increases EPC mobilization (Std.MD:1.84, 95% CI: 1.03-2.64) in patients with CVD. Adequate exercise volume (>60%VO2max >30 min; P = 0.00001) yields desirable results. Our meta-analysis supports the findings of the literature. Exercise volume is required to obtain clinically significant results. Continuous exercise training of high-to-moderate intensity with adequate duration as well as combined training with aerobic and resistance exercise stimulates EPC mobilization and increases VEGF in patients with CVD and healthy individuals.

Aerobic exercise alleviates pyroptosis-related diseases by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome

Pyroptosis plays a crucial role in a variety of human diseases, including atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease, which usually release pyroptosis-related cytokines due to inflammation. Many studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise is a good option for decreasing the release of pyroptosis-related cytokines. However, the molecular mechanisms of aerobic exercise on pyroptosis-related diseases remain unknown. In this review, the effects of aerobic exercise on pyroptosis in endothelial cells, adipocytes and hippocampal cells, and their potential mechanisms are summarized. In endothelial cells, aerobic exercise could inhibit NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis by improving the endothelial function, while reducing vascular inflammation and oxidative stress. In adipocytes, aerobic exercise has been shown to inhibit pyroptosis by ameliorating inflammation and insulin resistance. Moreover, aerobic exercise could restrict pyroptosis by attenuating microglial activation, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-beta deposition in hippocampal cells. In summary, aerobic exercise alleviates the pyroptosis-related diseases by regulating the NLRP3 inflammation si0067naling.

Impact of Non-Pharmacological Interventions on the Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide characterized by the deposition of lipids and fibrous elements in the form of atheroma plaques in vascular areas which are hemodynamically overloaded. The global burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is steadily increasing and is considered the largest known non-infectious pandemic. The management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is increasing the cost of health care worldwide, which is a concern for researchers and physicians and has caused them to strive to find effective long-term strategies to improve the efficiency of treatments by managing conventional risk factors. Primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the preferred method to reduce cardiovascular risk. Fasting, a Mediterranean diet, and caloric restriction can be considered useful clinical tools. The protective impact of physical exercise over the cardiovascular system has been studied in recent years with the intention of explaining the mechanisms involved; the increase in heat shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes and regulators of cardiac myocyte proliferation concentration seem to be the molecular and biochemical shifts that are involved. Developing new therapeutic strategies such as vagus nerve stimulation, either to prevent or slow the disease’s onset and progression, will surely have a profound effect on the lives of millions of people.

The Role and Mechanism of the Vascular Endothelial Niche in Diseases: A Review

Vascular endothelial cells, forming the inner wall of the blood vessels, participate in the body’s pathological and physiological processes of immunity, tumors, and infection. In response to an external stimulus or internal pathological changes, vascular endothelial cells can reshape their microenvironment, forming a “niche”. Current research on the vascular endothelial niche is a rapidly growing field in vascular biology. Endothelial niches not only respond to stimulation by external information but are also decisive factors that act on neighboring tissues and circulating cells. Intervention through the vascular niche is meaningful for improving the treatment of several diseases. This review aimed to summarize reported diseases affected by endothelial niches and signal molecular alterations or release within endothelial niches. We look forward to contributing knowledge to increase the understanding the signaling and mechanisms of the vascular endothelial niche in multiple diseases.

The impact of different forms of exercise on endothelial progenitor cells in healthy populations

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to vascular healing and neovascularisation, while exercise is an effective means to mobilise EPCs into the circulation.

OBJECTIVES

to systematically examine the acute and chronic effects of different forms of exercise on circulating EPCs in healthy populations.

METHODS

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

thirty-one articles met the inclusion criteria including 747 participants aged 19 to 76 years. All included trials used flow cytometry for identification of circulating EPCs. Eight and five different EPC phenotypes were identified in the acute and chronic trials, respectively. In the acute trials, moderate intensity continuous (MICON), maximal, prolonged endurance, resistance and high intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise protocols were utilised. Prolonged endurance and resistance exercise had the most profound effect on circulating EPCs followed by maximal exercise. In the chronic trials, MICON exercise, HIIT, HIIT compared to MICON and MICON compared to exergame (exercise modality based on an interactive video game) were identified. MICON exercise had a positive effect on circulating EPCs in older sedentary individuals which was accompanied by improvements in endothelial function and arterial stiffness. Long-stage HIIT (4 min bouts) appears to be an effective means and superior than MICON exercise in mobilising circulating EPCs. In conclusion, both in acute and chronic trials the degree of exercise-induced EPC mobilisation depends upon the exercise regime applied. In future, more research is warranted to examine the dose-response relationship of different exercise forms on circulating EPCs using standardised methodology and EPC phenotype.