Norepinephrine Stimulates Mobilization of Endothelial Progenitor Cells after Limb Ischemia
Figure 4
The angiogenesis in the caudal gastrocnemius was augmented by NE and blocked by Phentolamine and 127 in vivo.
Cells positive for CD31 and muscle fiber number were both counted. The ratio of capillary number to muscle fiber number was determined. NE significantly increased hind-limb vascularization as assessed by capillary densitometry (2.35-fold increase relative to PBS-treated mice; P<0.01, Figure 4). The increase of neovessel formation in ischaemic muscles was inhibited by co-treatment of Phentolamine (1.56-fold increase relative to PBS-treated mice; P<0.01) and selective β 2 adrenoceptor blocker I127 (0.81-fold increase relative to PBS-treated mice; P<0.01), but not Metoprolol (2.71-fold increase relative to PBS-treated mice; P<0.01).