Increased Hindlimb Leukocyte Concentration in a Chronic Rodent Model of Venous Hypertension

Pathogenesis of primary chronic venous disease: Insights from animal models of venous hypertension

“…80,81 Research using the large vein ligation model of venous hypertension in the rat has shown that a relatively modest elevation of venous pressure can provoke leukocyte migration leading to elevated tissue leukocyte levels that are detectable within approximately 2 hours of ligation and which persist for at least a week with chronic pressure elevation. 33,34 Leukocyte accumulation was largely prevented by prior injection of an anti-ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody, 35 confirming the key role of ICAM-1 in leukocyte adherence and migration in skin tissue as well as in the walls and valves of large veins. Interestingly, endothelial expression of ICAM-1 was not increased after 14 days of venous hypertension.…”

“…33 In the chronic model, the incisions were closed and the rats were maintained for 7 or 14 days before a second anesthesia and investigation. 34 Arterial and venous pressure measurements were obtained via cannulation of the right carotid artery and the right superficial epigastric vein. Tissue distribution of leukocytes was assessed by tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity.…”

“…Another rodent model, in which venous hypertension was produced by ligation of several large veins, [33][34][35] has been used to investigate the link between venous hypertension and the skin changes that are important manifestations of severe clinical CVD. 2…”

Evaluation of the Role of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 in a Rodent Model of Chronic Venous Hypertension

“…After the final arterial and venous pressure readings, bilateral forelimb and hindlimb skin (epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat) was harvested (ϳ2 ϫ 2-cm 2 sections), rinsed with saline, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at Ϫ70°C until the MPO assay could be run. Arndt's myeloperoxidase assay [14], as previously described in our earlier work [11,12], was used to indirectly quantitate the number of leukocytes in the hindlimb skin of the animals. MPO activity was assessed by measuring the H 2 O 2 -dependent oxidation of 3,3Ј,5,5Ј-tetramethylbenzidene, resulting in a blue chromogen detectable spectrophotometrically.…”

“…We have developed both acute and chronic rodent models of obstructive VH in which we have demonstrated, using the myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay, a significant increase in the cutaneous leukocyte concentration in hypertensive hindlimbs [11,12].…”