Vladimr Mlynrik1, Maxime Pellegrin2, Cristina Cudalbu1, Lucia Mazzolai2, Rolf Gruetter1, 3
1Laboratory of Functional and Metabolic Imaging, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland; 2Service of Angiology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; 3Departments of Radiology, Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
Diminished perfusion in peripheral arterial disease leads to the development of ischemia, which is thought to initiate angiogenesis, arteriogenesis and enhanced muscle metabolism. Our model of ligating right common iliac artery in mice led to a significant decrease of PCr/γ -ATP measured by localized phosphorus MRS in femoral muscles of the operated leg compared to sham-operated controls one week after surgery. The PCr/γ -ATP ratio was also reduced in the contralateral leg. Five weeks after operation this ratio increased in both legs to levels slightly higher than those in sham-operated animals. There was no significant difference between sedentary and treadmill-exercised animals.