Transplantation of healthy but not diabetic outgrowth endothelial cells could rescue ischemic myocardium in diabetic rabbits.

Objective: There are two types of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) in circulation, early EPC and outgrowth endothelial cell (OEC). Diabetes impairs the function of EPC, but it is not clear whether transplantation of OECs can rescue ischemic myocardium in diabetes. In this study, we compared the function of diabetic and healthy OECs in vitro.