Objective To investigate the feasibility and possible mechanism of curcumin in the prevention and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD）. Methods A total of 30 patients with COPD were enrolled by collecting peripheral blood using density gradient centrifugation. They were inoculated in human fibronectincoated plates for 7 days and identified as endothelial progenitor cells（EPCs） by fluorescent staining. EPCs were divided into control group and curcumin high

medium and low doses groups

with 6 samples in each group. The control group was cultured in EGM-2 medium without fetal bovine serum for 24 hours

then EGM-2 medium containing 20%fetal bovine serum was added; the curcumin low

medium and high doses groups were treated with fetal bovine serum free EGM-2 culture fluid

and then were cultured with a conditioned medium of 5

10

and 15 μmol/L of curcumin respectively for 24 hours. The proliferation ability and angiogenic ability of EPCs were detected after 24 hours of culture. The proliferation ability and angiogenic ability of EPCs at 0 h

12 h

24 h

and 48 h culture between the curcumin group with best effect dose and the control group were compared. Results After 24 hours of culture

the number and proliferation in the curcumin medium and high dose groups was significantly higher than that in the control group. The angiogenic ability of the curcumin groups was higher than that in the control group（P < 0. 05 or P <0. 01）. With the increase of curcumin dose

cell proliferation and angiogenesis ability also increased（P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）

so the high-dose curcumin group and the control group were compared at different times. Compared with the control group at the same time

the cell proliferation and angiogenesis ability of the curcumin high-dose group were increased at 12 h

24 h

and 48 h（P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）. Conclusion Curcumin could promote the proliferation and angiogenesis of EPCs in patients with COPD

and the curcumin dose at 15 μmol/L produced best effect.