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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Figures and Tables All Versions of this Article: 296/3/H877    most recent 00772.2008v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Distasi, M. R. Articles by Unthank, J. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Distasi, M. R. Articles by Unthank, J. L.

Suppressed hindlimb perfusion in Rac2^–/– and Nox2^–/– mice does not result from impaired collateral growth

¹Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, ²Department of Surgery, ³Department of Pediatrics, Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, ⁴Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, and ⁵Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; and ⁶Division of Experimental Pathology, Methodist Research Institute/Clarian Health Partners, Incorporated, Indianapolis, Indiana

Submitted 23 July 2008 ; accepted in final form 12 January 2009

While tissue perfusion and angiogenesis subsequent to acute femoral artery occlusion are suppressed in NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2)-null (Nox2^–/–) mice, studies have not established the role of Nox2 in collateral artery enlargement. Rac2 is a small GTPase that binds Nox2 and activates Nox2-based NAD(P)H oxidase but, unlike Nox2, is primarily restricted to bone marrow-derived cells. In this study, we used Rac2-null (Rac2^–/–) and Nox2^–/– mice with a novel method of identifying primary hindlimb collaterals to investigate the hypothesis that collateral growth requires these molecules. When initial experiments performed with femoral ligation demonstrated similar perfusion and collateral growth in Rac2^–/– and wild-type C57BL/6J (BL6) mice, subsequent experiments were performed with a more severe ischemia model, femoral artery excision. After femoral excision, tissue perfusion was suppressed in Rac2^–/– mice relative to BL6 mice. Histological assessment of ischemic injury including necrotic and regenerated muscle fibers and lipid and collagen deposition demonstrated greater injury in Rac2^–/– mice. The diameters of primary collaterals identified during Microfil injection with intravital microscopy were enlarged to a similar extent in BL6 and Rac2^–/– mice. Intimal cells in collateral cross sections were increased in number in both strains and were CD31 positive and CD45 negative. Circulating leukocytes and CD11b⁺ cells were increased more in Rac2^–/– than BL6 animals. Experiments performed in Nox2^–/– mice to verify that the unexpected results related to collateral growth were not unique to Rac2^–/– mice gave equivalent results. The data demonstrate that, subsequent to acute femoral artery excision, perfusion recovery is impaired in Rac2^–/– and Nox2^–/– mice but that collateral luminal expansion and intimal cell recruitment/proliferation are normal. These novel results indicate that collateral luminal expansion and intimal cell recruitment/proliferation are not mediated by Rac2 and Nox2.

arteriogenesis; hindlimb ischemia; necrosis; regeneration; NADPH oxidase 2