Evaluation of postnatal arteriogenesis and angiogenesis in a mouse model of hind-limb ischemia

• Published in: Nature protocols Vol. 4; no. 12; pp. 1737 - 1748
• Main Authors: Limbourg, Anne, Korff, Thomas, Napp, L Christian, Schaper, Wolfgang, Drexler, Helmut, Limbourg, Florian P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-12-2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Angiogenesis; Animals; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Blood vessels; Cardiovascular diseases; Computational Biology/Bioinformatics; Development and progression; Disease Models, Animal; Experimental design; Femoral Artery - growth & development; Femoral Artery - pathology; Femoral Artery - surgery; Foot - blood supply; Foot - pathology; Ischemia; Ischemia - physiopathology; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; Lasers; Life Sciences; Lower Extremity - blood supply; Lower Extremity - pathology; Male; Mice; Microarrays; Muscles; Neovascularization; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Organic Chemistry; Perfusion Imaging - methods; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Protocol; Risk factors; Germany
• ISSN: 1754-2189; 1750-2799
• DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2009.185

Blood vessel growth in adult organisms involves the following two fundamental processes: angiogenesis, the proliferation and extension of capillary networks; and arteriogenesis, the growth of functional arteries. We provide a protocol for the evaluation of postnatal arteriogenesis and angiogenesis in a mouse model of hind-limb ischemia. Surgical ligation of the femoral artery at a specific site triggers arteriogenesis of small, pre-existing collateral arteries into functional conduit vessels proximally and ischemic angiogenesis distally. The vascular response to hind-limb ischemia can be readily evaluated by laser Doppler-based perfusion measurements, histological quantification of arteriogenesis and angiogenesis or whole-mount visualization of arteries in limb muscles. Depending on the experimental design, the protocol takes between 4 and 29 d to complete; however, the net working time is about 2 d per mouse. The concurrent and specific analysis of postnatal angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in the same animal is a unique feature of the protocol.