Exendin-4 reverses high glucose-induced endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction via SDF-1β/CXCR7–AMPK/p38-MAPK/IL-6 axis

Exendin-4, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog, has been used for treating diabetes mellitus (DM). However, its effects on improving the dysfunction of high glucose (HG)-induced endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) remain unclear. The present study explored the effects of Exendin-4 on improving dysfunction of EPCs and the underlying mechanism. EPCs were isolated from SD rats and identified by flow cytometry. Next, the EPCs were treated by HG...