Objective: Stable animal models for refractory peripheral arterial disease are not established. A standardized animal model of hind-limb ischemia is required upon searching effective treatment for this condition. The aim of the study is to verify previously used hind-limb ischemia models to find a standard method.
Methods: Using Balb/ca mice six various methods of inducing hind-limb ischemia were applied and two weeks after operation degree of ischemic damage were examined. Six methods include V group, A group, AV group, A-strip group, AV-strip group and Prox-A group (refer the text).
Results: Degree of ischemia was evaluated macroscopically by judging toes, foot, knee, and total hind-limb necrosis. We found that severity of damage was markedly different among different methods. Furthermore the severity of necrosis was not uniform even in the same method group.
Conclusions: The A-strip group in which the femoral artery from the bifurcation of the deep femoral artery to the saphenous artery was stripped appears to be suitable as a stable severe ischemia model. The A group in which the femoral artery were cut just below the bifurcation of the deep femoral artery appears to be suitable as a chronic mild ischemia model.