Mano Rieko, Ishida Akio, Ohya Yusuke, Todoriki Hidemi, Takishita Shuichi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nephrology and Neurology, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Atherosclerosis. 2009 Jun;204(2):544-8. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2008.09.035. Epub 2008 Oct 11.
Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of vascular vessels. The number of EPCs inversely correlates with the number of atherosclerotic risk factors. Although nonpharmacological treatment represents the first approach to the primary prevention of atherosclerotic diseases, little is known about the effects of diet on EPCs. We investigated the effect of a dietary intervention with vegetables that are commonly eaten in Okinawa on the number of EPCs.
Forty-five healthy young women were employed and randomized to a dietary intervention group (n=24) or a control group (n=21). Subjects in the intervention group received typical Okinawan vegetables through home-parcel delivery for 2 weeks. After the dietary intervention, urinary potassium and magnesium excretion increased only in the intervention group and changes were greater than in the control group (p=0.007, 0.010, respectively). The consumption of total vegetables correlated with changes in both urinary potassium and magnesium excretion. Serum folic acid increased and plasma homocysteine decreased in both groups but the change was significant only in the intervention group. The EPCs number significantly increased in the intervention group but did not in the control group. An inverse correlation was observed between EPC number and plasma homocysteine level (r=-0.272, p=0.016). Changes in the EPC number inversely correlated with changes in both serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (r=-0.555, p=0.0002; r=-0.626, p<0.0001, respectively).
The consumption of vegetables increased the number of circulating EPCs; this change might be associated with a homocysteine-lowering effect.
循环内皮祖细胞（EPCs）在维持血管完整性方面发挥着关键作用。EPCs的数量与动脉粥样硬化危险因素的数量呈负相关。尽管非药物治疗是动脉粥样硬化疾病一级预防的首要方法，但关于饮食对EPCs的影响知之甚少。我们研究了食用冲绳常见蔬菜的饮食干预对EPCs数量的影响。
招募45名健康年轻女性，随机分为饮食干预组（n = 24）和对照组（n = 21）。干预组的受试者通过家庭包裹递送方式接受典型的冲绳蔬菜，为期2周。饮食干预后，仅干预组的尿钾和镁排泄量增加，且变化幅度大于对照组（分别为p = 0.007，0.010）。蔬菜总摄入量与尿钾和镁排泄量的变化均相关。两组的血清叶酸均升高，血浆同型半胱氨酸均降低，但仅干预组的变化具有统计学意义。干预组的EPCs数量显著增加，而对照组未增加。观察到EPCs数量与血浆同型半胱氨酸水平呈负相关（r = -0.272，p = 0.016）。EPCs数量的变化与血清总胆固醇和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平的变化均呈负相关（分别为r = -0.555，p =
