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Citations to this article

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) increase endothelial progenitor cells via the PI 3-kinase/Akt pathway
Stefanie Dimmeler, … , Hans Martin, Andreas M. Zeiher
Stefanie Dimmeler, … , Hans Martin, Andreas M. Zeiher
Published August 1, 2001
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2001;108(3):391-397. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI13152.
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HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) increase endothelial progenitor cells via the PI 3-kinase/Akt pathway

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Abstract

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) have been developed as lipid-lowering drugs and are well established to reduce morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease. Here we demonstrate that statins potently augment endothelial progenitor cell differentiation in mononuclear cells and CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells isolated from peripheral blood. Moreover, treatment of mice with statins increased c-kit+/Sca-1+–positive hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and further elevated the number of differentiated endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Statins induce EPC differentiation via the PI 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway as demonstrated by the inhibitory effect of pharmacological PI3K blockers or overexpression of a dominant negative Akt construct. Similarly, the potent angiogenic growth factor VEGF requires Akt to augment EPC numbers, suggesting an essential role for Akt in regulating hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiation. Given that statins are at least as potent as VEGF in increasing EPC differentiation, augmentation of circulating EPC might importantly contribute to the well-established beneficial effects of statins in patients with coronary artery disease.

Authors

Stefanie Dimmeler, Alexandra Aicher, Mariuca Vasa, Christiane Mildner-Rihm, Klaudia Adler, Michaela Tiemann, Hartmut Rütten, Stephan Fichtlscherer, Hans Martin, Andreas M. Zeiher

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Total citations by year

Year: 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Total
Citations: 3 5 1 10 12 8 9 11 8 9 13 16 22 24 22 26 32 22 12 8 11 11 2 2 1 300
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Citations to this article in year 2020 (8)

Title and authors Publication Year
Statins Stimulate New Myocyte Formation After Myocardial Infarction by Activating Growth and Differentiation of the Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cells
E Cianflone, D Cappetta, T Mancuso, J Sabatino, F Marino, M Scalise, M Albanese, A Salatino, EI Parrotta, G Cuda, AD Angelis, L Berrino, F Rossi, B Nadal-Ginard, D Torella, K Urbanek
International journal of molecular sciences 2020
Therapeutic Arteriogenesis/Angiogenesis for Peripheral Arterial Disease by Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of Pitavastatin into Vascular Endothelial Cells
T Matsumoto, S Yamashita, S Yoshino, S Kurose, K Morisaki, K Nakano, J Koga, T Furuyama, M Mori, K Egashira
Annals of Vascular Diseases 2020
miR-150 regulates endothelial progenitor cell differentiation via Akt and promotes thrombus resolution
X Du, N Hu, H Yu, L Hong, F Ran, D Huang, M Zhou, C Li, X Li
Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2020
Anti-arrhythmic properties of non-antiarrhythmic medications
EA Williams, V Russo, S Ceraso, D Gupta, R Barrett-Jolley
Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society 2020
The Treatment of Impaired Wound Healing in Diabetes: Looking among Old Drugs
SF Spampinato, GI Caruso, RD Pasquale, MA Sortino, S Merlo
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 2020
Caveolae, CD109, and endothelial cells as targets for treating Alzheimer's disease
J Fessel
Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions 2020
Atorvastatin improves the proliferation and migration of endothelial progenitor cells via the miR-221/VEGFA axis
L Sun, Y Zhang, J Zhang, J Wang, S Xing
Bioscience Reports 2020
OvCa-Chip microsystem recreates vascular endothelium–mediated platelet extravasation in ovarian cancer
B Saha, T Mathur, KF Handley, W Hu, V Afshar-Kharghan, AK Sood, A Jain
Blood Advances 2020

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