title: [Comparison of three approaches to establishing Balb/c mouse models of hind-limb ischemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compared 3 approaches to establishing Balb/c mouse models of hind-limb ischemia suitable for studies of regenerative medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty eight-week-old male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups for establishing models of hind-limb ischemia by both ligating and transecting the femoral artery proximal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch, ligating the femoral artery proximal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch, or ligating the femoral artery distal to the femoral artery trunk. The mice were continuously observed for 5 days after the operation, and hind-limb blood perfusion was monitored by laser Doppler imaging on the second postoperative day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 3 surgical approaches caused blood flow block in the hind-limbs of the mice. In mice with ligation and transaction of the femoral artery proximal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch, dry gangrene occurred in the whole hind-limb. Dry gangrene also occurred in the legs and paws of mice with ligation of the femoral artery proximal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch. In mice with femoral artery ligation distal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch, the sole of the foot was dry with scaling skin and necrosis of several digits; microscopically examination revealed a large quantity of necrotic muscles accompanied by muscle regeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ligating the femoral artery distal to the origin of the deep femoral artery branch can be optimal for establishing Balb/c mouse models of hind-limb ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.E-mail:pathology88@163.com.
authors.forename: Yonglin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jingke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shaohua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000473:pathology; D007511:Ischemia; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009336:Necrosis