Reverse-D-4F Increases the Number of Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Improves Endothelial Progenitor Cell Dysfunctions in High Fat Diet Mice

Although high density lipoprotein (HDL) improves the functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), the effect of HDL ApoAI mimetic peptide reverse-D-4F (Rev-D4F) on EPC mobilization and repair of EPC dysfunctions remains to be studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of Rev-D4F on peripheral blood cell subpopulations in C57 mice treated with a high fat diet and the mechanism of Rev-D4F in improving the function of EPCs impaired by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). The high fat diet significantly decreased the number of EPCs, EPC migratory functions, and the percentage of lymphocytes in the white blood cells. However, it significantly increased the number of white blood cells, the percentage of monocytes in the white blood cells, and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and TNF-alpha in the plasma. Rev-D4F clearly inhibited the effect of the high fat diet on the quantification of peripheral blood cell subpopulations and cytokine levels, and increased stromal cell derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1 alpha) in the plasma. We provided in vitro evidence that TNF-alpha impaired EPC proliferation, migration, and tube formation through inactive AKT and eNOS, which was restored by Rev-D4F treatment. In contrast, both the PI3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002) and AKT inhibitor (perifosine) obviously inhibited the restoration of Rev-4F on EPCs impaired by TNF-alpha. Our results suggested that Rev-D4F increases the quantity of endothelial progenitor cells through increasing the SDF-1 alpha levels and decreasing the TNF-alpha level of peripheral blood in high fat diet-induced C57BL/6J mice, and restores TNF-alpha induced dysfunctions of EPCs partly through stimulating the PI3K/AKT signal pathway.