Aging is associated with a proapoptotic endothelial progenitor cell phenotype.

The aim of this study was to determine if aging is associated with enhanced endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) sensitivity to apoptosis. Cells with phenotypic EPC characteristics were isolated from healthy, nonobese young (age 25 ± 1 years) and older (61 ± 1 years) men. Intracellular active caspase-3 concentrations in response to staurosporine stimulation were approximately 35% higher (p < 0.05) in EPCs from older (3.15 ± 0.29 pg/ml) compared with young (2.33 ± 0.24 pg/ml) men. Protein expression of Akt, p70 S6-kinase and Bcl-2 was markedly lower (approx. 35, 75 and 60%, respectively, all p < 0.05) in EPCs from older compared with young men, whereas there were no age-related differences in either 14-3-3ε or Bax expression. Additionally, EPC telomerase activity was 57% lower (p < 0.05) in older (0.18 ± 0.11 AU) versus young (0.43 ± 0.11 AU) men. These results indicate that aging is associated with a proapoptotic EPC phenotype characterized by decreased expression of key antiapoptotic proteins associated with the PI-3-kinase signaling pathway and reduced telomerase activity. These age-related changes likely contribute, in part, to the diminished ability of EPCs to resist an apoptotic stimulus in older men. Increased susceptibility to apoptosis may contribute to the numerical and functional impairments observed in EPCs with aging.