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Monocytes are activated during collateral artery growth in vivo, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) has been shown to be upregulated by shear stress in vitro. In order to investigate whether MCP-1 enhances collateral growth after femoral artery occlusion, 12 rabbits were randomly assigned to receive either MCP-1, PBS, or no local infusion via osmotic minipump. Seven days after occlusion, isolated hindlimbs were perfused with autologous blood at different pressures, measuring flows at maximal vasodilation via flow probe and radioactive microspheres, as well as peripheral pressures. This allowed the calculation of collateral (thigh) and peripheral (lower limb) conductances from pressure-flow tracings (slope of the curve). Collateral growth on postmortem angiograms was restricted to the thigh and was markedly enhanced with MCP-1 treatment. Both collateral and peripheral conductances were significantly elevated in animals with MCP-1 treatment compared with the control group, reaching values of nonoccluded hindlimbs after only 1 week of occlusion (collateral conductance, 70.6 +/- 19.23 versus 25.1 +/- 2.59 mL/min per 100 mm Hg; P < .01; peripheral conductance, 119.3 +/- 22.37 versus 45.4 +/- 6.80 mL/min per 100 mm Hg; P < .05). These results suggest that activation of monocytes plays an important role in collateral growth as well as in capillary sprouting.
Ito et al. (Sun,) studied this question.