Circulating Progenitor Cell Response to Exercise in Wheelchair Racing Athletes.

INTRODUCTION: Circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) are a heterogeneous population of stem/progenitor cells in peripheral blood that participate in tissue repair. CPC mobilization has been well characterized in able-bodied persons, but has not been previously investigated in wheelchair racing athletes. The purpose of this study was to characterize CPC and CPC sub-population mobilization in elite wheelchair racing athletes in response to acute, upper-extremity aerobic exercise to determine if CPC responses are similar to ambulatory populations. METHODS: Eight participants (3 female; age=27.5+/-4.0 years; supine height=162.5+/-18.6cm; weight=53.5+/-10.9kg, VO2peak=2.4+/-0.62 L/min; years post injury=21.5+/-6.2 years) completed a 25 km time trial on a road course. Blood sampling occurred before (Pre) and immediately post (Post) exercise for quantification of CPCs (CD34+), HSPCs (CD34+/CD45dim), HSCs (CD34+/CD45dim/CD38-), CD34+ adipose tissue-derived (AT)-MSCs (CD45-/CD34+/CD105+/CD31-), CD34- bone marrow-derived (BM)-MSCs (CD45-/CD34-/CD105+/CD31-), and EPCs (CD45dim/CD34+/VEGFR2+) via flow cytometry. Blood lactate was measured Pre- and Post-trial as an indicator of exercise intensity. RESULTS: CPC concentration increased 5.7 fold post-exercise (P=0.10). HSPCs, HSCs, EPCs, and both MSC populations were not increased post exercise. Baseline HSPCs were significantly positively correlated to absolute VO2peak (Rho = 0.71, P

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