α-Tocopherol, especially α-tocopherol phosphate, exerts antiapoptotic and angiogenic effects on rat bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells under high-glucose and hypoxia conditions

Considering the poor efficacy of local intramuscular injections with endothelial progenitor cells for critical limb ischemia in patients with diabetes, the study aimed to investigate the effect of α-tocopherol and α-tocopherol phosphate on apoptosis and angiogenesis in a rat model under oxidative stress conditions. α-Tocopherol, especially α-tocopherol phosphate, possesses therapeutic potential in the inhibition of apoptosis and increases the migratory capacity of endothelial progenitor cells under high-glucose/hypoxic conditions. It promotes angiogenesis by upregulating Bcl-2, Akt, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and decreasing nuclear factor κB p65, p38MAPK, Notch-1, JNK, and Tie-2.