Angiogenic Peptides Improve Blood Flow and Promote Capillary Growth in a Diabetic and Ischaemic Mouse Model

Abstract Objectives It is a common clinical observation that collateral vessel development is impaired in diabetic patients with ischaemic vascular diseases. Consequently, alternative revascularisation strategies in diabetic patients are needed. This study presents the effect and mechanism of new peptide therapeutic angiogenesis in an ischaemic and diabetic mouse model. Design Streptozocin-injected mice that had undergone hind-limb ischaemia were treated with angiogenic peptides. Blood flow restoration was calculated by laser Doppler imager and corroborated by histological section. For the mechanism study, endothelial cells were exposed to hypoxia and high glucose concentrations to study the effect of the peptides on proliferation and anti-apoptosis. Results The peptides significantly restored blood perfusion 21 days after surgery in the diabetic mice ( p