EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH 393

Background: The aim of the present study was to de-termine whether regular exercise training (ET) is effec-tive at promoting the mobilization of CPCs and im-proving their functional activity in patients with re-cently acquired myocardial infarction (STEMI). Regu-lar physical training has been shown to improve my-ocardial perfusion and cardiovascular function. This may be related in part to a mobilization of bone mar-row-derived circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) as well as an enhanced vascularisation. Methods: 37 patients with STEMI were randomly as-signed to an ET group or a non-ET group (controls). Two weeks after STEMI, three weeks after regular ET and three months after ET, BNP levels, exercise echocardiography and exercise spiroergometry were evaluated. The number of CD34+/CD45+ and CD133+/CD45+ CPCs was measured by flow cytome-try analysis. The migration capacity of the CPCs was determined with a boyden chamber and the clono-genic capacity by CFU-assay. Results: In the ET-group the number and migration capacity of CPCs increased significantly after regular exercise training. The BNP level decreased significant-ly from 121 ± 94 to 75 ± 47 pg/ml (p<0.001) after the ET period, the left ventricular ejection fraction raised in parallel at peak exercise, and the cardiorespiratory condition improved as demonstrated by an increase of VO2max (from 1641 ± 522 to 1842 ± 724 ml/min, p<0.02). These three effects persist till three months after the ET period. Conclusions: Regular physical activity appears to pre-dispose the mobilization and enhanced functional ac-tivity of CPCs, a phenomenon which might lead to an improved cardiac function in patients with recently ac-quired acute myocardial infarction