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Long-term Intermittent Compression Increases Arteriographic Collaterals in a Rabbit Model of Femoral Artery Occlusion
P.S. van Bemmelen, R.G. Choudry, M.D. Salvatore, M. Goldenberg, B.I. Goldman and J. Blebea.
Departments of Surgery and Pathology, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
Eur J Vasc Surg 34, 340 – 346 (2007)
Objective: To assess the effects of intermittent limb compression on arterial formation in a rabbit-model.
Design: Animal study.
Material and methods: New Zealand rabbits (n = 11), aged 2-years, weight of at least 4.0 kg, underwent bilateral superficial femoral artery ligation. In ten of these, the experimental leg underwent 60 minutes of daily intermittent compression for a ten week period with 3 sec/90 mmHg pressure inflation and a cycle of 3 times per minute. The contra-lateral limbs were not treated. At the end of the ten-week period, high-resolution angiograms were obtained by barium infusion into the aorta. The angiograms were analyzed in a blinded manner and the number of collateral arteries larger than 100 microns, was counted. Following perfusion-fixation, histological specimens of transverse sections of the compressed semi-membranous muscle were examined.
Results: The compressed limbs demonstrated a significantly (8.1 ± .87 vs 6.0 ± .97; p< 0.005) greater number of collateral vessels, ranging in size from 100 – 700 microns, as compared to the control sides. The mean size of collaterals in the compressed limbs was not significantly different (0.33 ± 0.17 vs 0.31 ± 0.16). Microscopic examination of the collaterals confirmed remodeling by a typical neo-intima consisting of 6 – 7 cell-layers.
Conclusions: Intermittent limb compression increases the number of angiographical collateral arteries.
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