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Updated: May 29, 2026
Murine Spinotrapezius Model to Assess the Impact of Arteriolar Ligation on Microvascular Function and Remodeling
Published on: March 3, 2013
Exogenous thrombin delivery promotes collateral capillary arterialization and tissue reperfusion in the murine
Anthony C Bruce1, Shayn M Peirce
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Objective:
We examined the effects of exogenously delivered thrombin on cell recruitment in skeletal muscle and the formation of new collateral arterioles in the microvasculature in response to ligation-induced ischemia.
Methods:
Thrombin or vehicle was locally applied to both ligated and nonoperated Balb/c spinotrapezius muscles, which were harvested after three or seven days, imaged using confocal microscopy, and analyzed.
Results:
Thrombin treatment resulted in accelerated arterialization of collateral capillaries and accelerated tissue reperfusion in ischemic muscles. Uninjured muscle treated with thrombin displayed increased vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 expression on arteriole and venule endothelium, increased expression of smooth muscle α-actin on capillary-sized vessels, increased infiltration by CD11b(+) leukocytes, and mast cell infiltration and degranulation.
Conclusions:
Exogenous delivery of thrombin enhances microvascular collateral development in response to ischemic insult, and accelerates tissue reperfusion. Elicited responses from multiple cell types probably contribute to these effects.
