Role of Fas/Fas ligand interaction in ischemia-induced collateral vessel growth

Fas ligand (FasL) is a death factor that induces apoptosis in cells bearing its receptor, Fas. Accumulating evidence indicates that the Fas/FasL system is involved not only in apoptosis but also in cell-activation signals. Recently, it was reported that local stimulation of Fas in vivo using an agonistic antibody triggers inflammatory cell infiltration and neoangiogenesis independently of apoptosis. On the other hand, Fas/FasL interaction has been proposed to control the growth and development of new subretinal vessels. Here, we evaluated the potential involvement of Fas/FasL interaction in collateral development in response to tissue ischemia. Hindlimb ischemia was induced in C57BL/6J (wild-type), B6-gld(FasL -/-), and B6-lpr(Fas -/-) mice by resection of the right femoral artery. The blood flow recovery of FasL -/- or Fas -/- mice was similar to that of wild-type mice, as determined using a laser Doppler imaging system. There was no significant difference in capillary density of the ischemic calf muscle among the mice, as determined by anti-CD31 immunostaining. We did not find any difference in the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells or in vascular endothelial growth factor expression. These results indicate that postnatal angiogenesis in response to acute ischemia can occur independently of the endogenous Fas/FasL interaction.