他汀类药物与内皮祖细胞

内皮祖细胞是来源于骨髓可分化为内皮细胞的一群细胞，在组织缺血及血管损伤时动员入血，参与微血管的生成及血管内皮的修复。有研究表明循环内皮祖细胞的数量和功能与冠心病危险因子呈负相关，提示循环内皮祖细胞有作为心血管疾病预后评估工具的应用前景。他汀类药物除了调节血脂的作用外，在血脂正常的动物模型中也发现能增加内皮祖细胞数量及增强内皮祖细胞功能，他汀类药物的这种作用可能是其临床上治疗冠心病获益的机制之一。

Statins and Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Endothelial progenitor cells （EPCs） are bone marrow-derived cells that have the ability to differentiate into endothelial ceils. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that EPCs are mobilized in response to tissue isehemia and vascular injury. Mobilized EPCs thus contribute not only to microvaseular angiogenesis, but also to the repair of large vessels. Several studies suggest that the number and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells （ CEPCs） is inversely correlated with the risk factor for coronary artery disease. These results open up prospects for the use of CEPCs as a prognostic tool for cardiovascular diseases. In addition to lipid-lowering activity, hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors （ statins ） reportedly promote the neovaseularization of ischemic tissue in normocholesterolem- ic animals. Given the well established role of EPCs in participating in vascular repair after isehemic injury, stimulation of EPCs by statins may contribute to the clinical benefit of statin therapy in patients with CAD.