Human insulin stimulates outgrowth of circulating endothelial progenitor cells by IGF-1 receptor mediated activation of MAP-kinases

Introduction: Patients with both diabetes type 1 and 2 demonstrate impaired outgrowth and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), known to take part in angiogenesis and vascular repair. In patients with poorly controlled diabetes type 2, insulin therapy leads to an increased number of circulating EPC. Therefore, we studied the influence of human insulin and its analogues on outgrowth and cellular signalling cascades in EPC, isolated from healthy volunteers. Methods: EPC derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers were grown in medium supplemented with different concentration…