[Effect of chronic enhanced external counterpulsation on arterial endothelial cells of porcine with hypercholesteremia].

Objective: To verify whether chronic enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) may repair artery endothelial cells (ECs) damage resulted from hypercholesteremia in pigs.

Methods: EECP was performed for 36 hours in pigs with hypercholesteremia and the left descending artery (LDA) was isolated for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ECs were collected from the thoracic aorta and analyzed by proteomic technique.

Results: The ECs of hypercholesteremia pigs showed irregular arrangement with obvious desquamation of coronary ECs and formation of atherosclerotic plaque, and these lesions were milder in EECP-treated pigs. Six over-expressed proteins were detected in the endothelial cells in EECP-treated pigs in comparison with those of the hypercholesteremia pigs.

Conclusion: Chronic EECP helps restore cell morphology and repair functional damage of ECs resulted from hypercholesteremia by regulating endothelial protein expressions, and consequently improves cell adhesion and intracellular metabolism and reduces EC apoptosis.