Abstract： Objective To investigate the effect of the Senlm of patients with congestive heart failure(CHF) on the apoptosis of endothelial progentior eelts(EPCs)and protective role of carvedil01.Method Totally 20 patientswithCHF、^mre enrolledfromDepartment ofCardiology ofthe FirstHospital Affdiated ofNanchangUniversity between June and August 2007.Serum WflflL isolatedfrom blood ofthe patients.1lononuelear cells were isolated from blood of20 healthy volunteers by density gradient centrifugation.Attaching cells wel-e harvested after culture for 7 relays and the EPCs were anyzea by flow cytometry and immunofluorescenee method.EPCs were divided into 4 groups:group A,cultured in sE-of volunteers;group B,cultured in serum of CHF;group C,cultured in leNlm of CFIF and Carvedilol;group D,cultured in,erum of CI-IF and metoproM,After euhure for 24 hours,annex.inV/PI wss used to investigate the apoptosis rate ofEPCs and the activity ofcllspafle 3 were exanlilled.ELISA Wills used to detect the level of flerum TNF-a of patients with CHF.Multiple group compalrion Wills conducted with variance analvsis and q test.Results The apoptosis rate and easpase 3 activity of EPCs in group B[(7.5 4-0.9)%v8.(3.0 4-0.25)]were significantly ineased compared with group A[(3.4±0.7)%VS.(1.37±0.2),P<O.01],and group c[(4.0±O.9)%vs.(I.54±0.12)]were significantly decreAsed compared with group B(P<0.01).The apoptosis rate ofEPCs correlated with the lrtlm r11NF-a levek of CHF patients.(r=0.476,P=0.03).Conclusiom The serum ofpatients with CHF can stimulate the apoptosis ofEPCs,and earvedilol can proteet EPCs from apoptosis.The protective role of carvedilol may have relation with the caspase 3 activation.