Exendin-4 protected against critical limb ischemia in obese mice

Jiunn Jye Sheu, Meng Wei Chang, Christopher Glenn Wallace, Hsin Ju Chiang, Pei Hsun Sung, Tzu Hsien Tsai, Sheng Ying Chung, Yung Lung Chen, Sarah Chua, Hsueh Wen Chang, Cheuk Kwan Sun, Fan Yen Lee, Hon Kan Yip*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that exendin-4 protects against critical limb ischemia (CLI) in obese mice undergoing hypoxic stress (H). B6 mice were categorized into aged-matched control (C)-H (group 1-A), obesity (induced by high-fat diet) (O)-H (group 1-B), C-H-CLI (group 2-A), O-H-CLI (group 2-B), C-H-CLI-exendin-4 (group 3-A) and O-H-CLI-exendin-4 (group 3-B). Animals were sacrificed by day 14 after CLI procedure. By day 14, laser Doppler results showed that blood flow in CLI area was higher in group 3-A than group 2-A, higher in group 3-B than group 2-B, highest in groups 1-A and 1-B, higher in group 2-A than in group 2-B, and higher in group 3-A than in group 3-B (all p<0.001), but not significantly different between groups 1-A and 1-B. Furthermore, circulating numbers of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) (c-kit/CD31+, Sca-1/KDR+) showed an identical pattern of blood flow in CLI area among groups 2-A, 2-B, 3-A and 3-B, except that these biomarkers were lowest in groups 1-A and 1-B (all p<0.001). Protein and cellular levels of angiogenesis factors (VEGF, CXCR4, SDF-1α) exhibited an identical pattern of circulating EPC numbers among all groups (all p<0.001). Protein levels of apoptotic (cytosolic cytochrome-C, mitochondrial Bax, cleaved caspase 3 and PARP) and fibrotic (Samd 3, TGF-β) biomarkers showed an opposite pattern of blood flow in CLI area among groups 2-A, 2-B, 3-A and 3-B, but were lowest in groups 1-A and 1-B (all p<0.001). This finding suggests exendin-4 protected against CLI in obese mice undergoing hypoxic stress mainly through enhancing angiogenesis and inhibiting apoptosis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)445-459
Number of pages15
JournalAmerican Journal of Translational Research
Volume7
Issue number3
StatePublished - 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, E-Century Publishing Corporation. All right reserved.

Keywords

  • Angiogenesis
  • Apoptosis
  • Critical limb ischemia
  • Exendin-4
  • Obesity

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