Impaired Collateral Vessel Development Associated With Reduced Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in ApoE ^−/− Mice

Abstract

These findings thus underscore the extent to which hyperlipidemia adversely affects native collateral development but does not preclude augmented collateral vessel growth in response to exogenous cytokines. Moreover, results obtained in the apoE-/- and athymic nude mice imply a critical role for infiltrating T cells as a source of VEGF in neovascularization of ischemic tissues.