Abstract
Nerves and blood vessels are in close proximity, indicating possible biomolecular interactions. Slit/Robo signaling pathways play critical roles in cell proliferation and motility. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) participate in angiogenesis and vascular homeostasis. EPC migration induced by Slit3 has not been fully characterized. Thus, the expression of Slit and Robo in EPCs was examined, and the chemotactic functions of Slit3 and the Slit/Robo signaling pathway regulatory mechanisms were explored. We observed that EPCs express mainly the Robo4 receptor, and its ligand Slit3 plays roles in regulation of EPCs migration through activating the RhoA/Rho related kinases. Regulation of Slit3/-Robo4 signaling in EPCs may provide a new therapeutic target for ischemic disease.