Hindlimb ischemia

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a debilitating illness that affects about 8 million Americans, and current medical therapies are suboptimal. New therapies for PAD require extensive preclinical testing, which is accomplished through the use of animal models. In particular, the hindlimb ischemia model reproduces aspects of the pathobiology and functional limitations of PAD. It is also a useful model of tissue ischemia, being technically simpler and more reproducible than other models, such as coronary ligation. Here we describe the methodology for establishing murine hindlimb ischemia by femoral artery ligation, and its assessment by laser Doppler perfusion imaging. By assessing tissue perfusion over the course of treatment, this protocol can be used to test the efficacy of therapeutics to reduce ischemia (as with angiogenic agents), or to improve tissue response to ischemia (as with agents to enhance metabolism).