Figure 2
Effect of aerobic exercise training type on ischemic limb vascularization in ApoE−/− mice with LEAD. (A) Left panel, Representative laser Doppler images of ischemic (I, right) and contralateral non-ischemic (NI, left) lower hindlimbs paws at baseline and at the study endpoint. The color scale ranges from blue (low perfusion) to red (high perfusion). Right panel, Quantification of ischemic hindlimb perfusion expressed as percentage of non-ischemic hindlimb perfusion. Data represent mean ± SEM (n = 9 in SED; n = 8 in FTR, n = 10 in VWR, and n = 6 in FS). (B) Quantification of ischemic hindlimb oxygenation using TcPO2 measurement (in mmHg) at baseline and at the study endpoint. Data represent mean ± SEM (n = 11 in SED; n = 15 in FTR, n = 12 in VWR, and n = 13 in FS). (C) Top panel, Representative photomicrographs of ischemic muscles immunostained with anti-α-SMA monoclonal antibody (magnification × 20). Bottom panel, Quantification of arteriolar density in ischemic gastrocnemius muscle at the study endpoint, expressed as the number of α-SMA-positive arterioles per muscle fiber and per high power field. Data represent mean ± SEM (n = 10 in SED; n = 8 in FTR, n = 9 in VWR, and n = 5 in FS). (D) mRNA expression of angiogenic/arteriogenic-related genes VEGFA, HIF-1α, and ANG2 in ischemic gastrocnemius muscle, as measured by quantitative real-time PCR at the study endpoint. Results in exercised groups were expressed as an x-fold change relative to SED, set at 1 (n = 9 in SED; n = 8 in FTR, n = 10 in VWR, and n = 6 in FS). Data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test (hindlimb perfusion and oxygenation data) or a one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post-hoc test (quantitative real-time PCR data): **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 vs. baseline.
