ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene transfection on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplantation in the process of injured vascular endothelium repair. Methods EPCs were cultured and expanded in vitro. EPCs were transduced with pseudotyped retroviral vectors expressing eNOS gene (pMCV-eNOS-EPCs) or green fluorescent protein gene (pMCV-GFP-EPCs). EPCs with expressing eNOS, GFP or saline were injected respectively into rat injured artery model by tail vein injection after balloon injury and again 24 hours. 14 days after transplantation. eNOS expression in injured artery was detected by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical methods. The morphology of arterial intima and media was studied by optical microscopy and image analysis system. Results Compared with GFP-EPCs group and control group, the mRNA and protein of eNOS were obviously high expressed in eNOS-EPCs group. EPCs transplantation reduce lumen stenosis and inhibit neointimalhyperplasia (eNOS-EPCs group vs.control group, 0.58±0.05 vs. 1.56±0.21, P < 0.01;GFP-EPCs group vs. control group, 0.84±0.09 vs.1.56±0.21, P < 0.05). eNOS gene transfection could further enhance this anti-proliferative effects (eNOS-EPCs group vs. GFP-EPCsgroup,0.58±0.05 vs. 0.84±0.09, P < 0.05). Furthermore, eNOS modified EPCs could improve the endothelial function of injured vascular endothelium. Conclusions eNOS gene transfection could increase the anti-proliferative effect of EPCs transplantation on injured artery and obviously ameliorate endothelial function.