Angiogenic properties of mesenchymal stem cells in a mouse model of limb ischemia

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be obtained from adult bone marrow and adipose tissue in large quantities and are the main cell types that contribute to recovery from ischemia because, among their biological activities, they produce several proangiogenic paracrine factors and differentiate into endothelial cells. Mouse hind limb ischemia induced by surgery is a useful animal model to study the angiogenic properties of MSCs, but it requires several precautions to be reproducible. The preparation of MSCs, the ischemic surgery, and the physiological and histological analyses are described in detail.