| First Author | Waeckel L | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | Circ Res | Volume | 96 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 576-82 |
| PubMed ID | 15718500 | Mgi Jnum | J:107646 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3621595 | Doi | 10.1161/01.RES.0000159389.55544.20 |
| Citation | Waeckel L, et al. (2005) Impairment in postischemic neovascularization in mice lacking the CXC chemokine receptor 3. Circ Res 96(5):576-82 |
| abstractText | Inflammatory cell infiltration is a feature of postischemic neovascularization. However, mechanisms leading to leukocyte attraction to the site of neovascularization are still undefined. We hypothesized that the CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) may contribute to leukocyte accumulation and subsequently to blood vessel growth in the ischemic area. Ischemia induced by femoral artery ligature improved the number of CXCR3-expressing cells and the level of its ligand, CXCL10. Angiographic score, blood flow recovery measurement, and capillary density analysis showed a significant decrease of ischemic/nonischemic leg ratio in CXCR3-deficient mice when compared with controls (P<0.05), at day 21 after ischemia. Interestingly, this impairment was as important as that observed in mice deficient for the well known CC-chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). At day 7 of ischemic injury, the number of CD3-positive T cells and Mac-3-positive monocytes/macrophages was 38% and 45% lower, respectively, in the ischemic leg of CXCR3-deficient mice compared with the control group (P<0.05), suggesting an important role for CXCR3 in leukocyte recruitment into the ischemic area. VEGF protein content, a classical proangiogenic factor, was also markedly reduced (80% reduction) in ischemic leg of CXCR3-deficient mice (P<0.01). Injection of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) isolated from wild-type animals restored the neovascularization reaction in CXCR3-deficient mice whereas BM-MNCs from CXCR3-deficient mice was ineffective. In conclusion, CXCR3 plays a key role in neovascularization and provides novel information on the mechanisms leading to leukocyte infiltration in the vessel growth area. |