Article

This review aimed to examine the effects of exercise training on mobilization of
endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with cardiovascular disease and
to discuss the possible mechanisms involved in the process. A computer-aided
search on PubMed and PEDro was conducted to identify relevant studies published
up to June 2012. Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion and
extracted data, namely, quantitative assessment of circulating EPCs. Of the 88
identified studies, 13 met the inclusion criteria.
The 13 studies enrolled 648
participants, including patients with chronic heart failure, peripheral artery
disease, and coronary artery disease. The exercise characteristics varied largely
across the studies: exercise duration ranged from 2 wks to 6 mos, session
duration ranged from 20 to 60 mins, and exercise intensity was usually calculated
using the maximal heart rate (ranging from 75% to 85%) or the peak/maximum oxygen
consumption (60%-70%). All studies used aerobic exercise. The great majority of
the 13 studies reported significant effects of different exercise regimens on the
number of circulating EPCs. In summary, exercise training seems to increase the
number of circulating EPCs, which could contribute to vascular regeneration and
angiogenesis. These positive effects of chronic exercise seem to be closely
related to the bioavailability of nitric oxide, including increased activity of
endothelial nitric oxide synthase and antioxidant enzymes, and activation of matrix metalloproteinase 9.

Langue : ANGLAIS