Pathological Changes in the Gastrocnemius Muscle throughout Hind Limb Ischemia Modeling in Rats

We present a two-stage model for the study of chronic hind limb ischemia in rats. In the area of ischemia, sclerotic changes with atrophic rhabdomyocytes and reduced vascularization were revealed. CD31 expression in the endothelium increased proportionally to the number of vessels in the ischemic zone, and at the same time, focal expression of βIII-tubulin was detected in the newly formed nerve fibers. These histological features are equivalent to the development of peripheral arterial disease in humans, which allows using our model in the search for new therapeutic strategies.