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Combined Endothelial and Skeletal Myofiber VEGF Gene Deletion Leads to Capillary Regression in Adult Mouse Hind Limb Muscle
Author(s) -
Sulaeman Alexis Gabriella,
Delavar Hamid,
Fine Janelle,
Wagner Peter D,
Breen Ellen C
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.1152.27
Subject(s) - medicine , skeletal muscle , endocrinology , chemistry , vascular endothelial growth factor , soleus muscle , myocyte , angiogenesis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , vegf receptors
In adult mice, the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for maintaining skeletal muscle capillaries is unclear. We hypothesized that deletion of the VEGF gene, targeted simultaneously to both endothelial cells and myofibers, would lead to a loss of capillaries in locomotor muscles. Methods Capillary to fiber ratio (C:F), fiber‐cross sectional area (FCSA), and fiber‐type composition were measured in soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius cryo‐sections from wild type (WT) and HSA‐Cre‐ER T2 X VEGF LoxP x PDGFb‐iCre‐ER T2 (EC+MyoVEGF−/−) mice. C:F was decreased in soleus from EC+MyoVEGF−/− mice compared to WT (WT, 1.64 ± 0.19, EC+MyoVEGF−/− 1.20 ± 0.19, n=3–9, p < 0.05). FCSA increased in both EC+MyoVEGF−/− soleus and plantaris (soleus: WT, 1953 ± 347 μm 2 , EC+MyoVEGF−/−, 3148 ± 543 μm 2 , plantaris: WT, 1731 ± 189 μm 2 , EC+MyoVEGF−/−, 3261 ± 803 μm 2 , n=3–9, p < 0.05). EC+MyoVEGF−/− mice also revealed a shift from type IIB to type IIA fibers in the plantaris (type IIB: WT, 66 ± 7 %, EC+MyoVEGF−/−, 48 ± 8 %, type IIA: WT, 19 ± 4%, EC+MyoVEGF−/−, 36 ± 16%, n=3–9, p < 0.05). Unlike previously reported studies in adult skeletal myofiber VEGF‐deficient mice, capillary regression does occur in adult skeletal muscle when VEGF expression is inhibited in both endothelial cells and myofibers.