Intravenous delivery of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells improves survival and attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in rats.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating disease, which is characterized by diffuse endothelium, epithelial damage, and increased pulmonary capillary permeability. Recent data have suggested that the circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in endothelial repair after vascular injury. This study was undertaken to investigate possible endothelial-repairing effects of EPC transplantation after LPS-induced ALI in rats.