title: Effect of angiogenesis induced by consecutive intramuscular injections of vascular endothelial growth factor in a hindlimb ischemic mouse model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiogenesis plays a major role in various physiological and pathological situations. Thus, an angiogenic therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been commonly recommended as a representative therapeutic solution to recover the insufficient blood supply of collateral vessels in an ischemic lesion. In this study, the injection method and injection time point of VEGF proteins were focused to discover how to enhance the angiogenic effect with VEGF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mouse models (n = 15) were divided into control, VEGF treatment by intra-venous injection (VEGF-IV) and VEGF treatment by intra-muscular injection (VEGF-IM). Right proximal femoral arteries of mice were firmly sutured to obstruct arterial blood-flow. In the VEGF-IV treatment group, VEGF proteins were injected into the tail vein and, in the VEGF-IM treatment group, VEGF proteins were directly injected into the ischemic site of the right thigh after postoperative day 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 follow-ups. Blood-flow images were acquired by (99m)Tc Gamma Image Acquisition System to compare the ischemic-to-non-ischemic bloodstream ratio at postoperative days 5, 15, and 30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF-IM treatment significantly induced higher an angiogenic effect rather than both the control group (P = 0.008) and VEGF-IV treatment group (P = 0.039) at the 30th day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During all experiments, angiogenesis of VEGF-IM treatment represented the most evident effect compared with control and VEGF-IV group in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tai Kyoung
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyosook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Sook
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: JeongIl
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hwan-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Philsun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Kwon
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cyclotron Research Center, Institute for Medical Sciences, Molecular Imaging & Therapeutic Medicine Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea ; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, 634-18, Geumam-dong, Dukjin-gu, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hwan-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Moon
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Angiogenesis; Consecutive injection; Gamma imaging; Hindlimb ischemia; Perfusion; VEGF