Increasing evidence suggests that lymphocytes play distinct roles in inflammation-induced tissue remodeling and tissue damage. Arteriogenesis describes the growth of natural bypasses from pre-existing collateral arteries. This process compensates for the loss of artery function in occlusive arterial diseases. The role of innate immune cells is widely understood in the process of arteriogenesis, whereas the role of lymphocytes remains unclear and is the subject of the present study. To analyze the role of lymphocytes, we induced arteriogenesis in recombination activating gene-1 (Rag1) knockout (KO) mice by unilateral ligation of the femoral artery. The lack of functional lymphocytes in Rag1 KO mice resulted in reduced perfusion recovery as shown by laser Doppler imaging. Additionally, immunofluorescence staining revealed a reduced vascular cell proliferation along with a smaller inner luminal diameter in Rag1 KO mice. The perivascular macrophage polarization around the growing collateral arteries was shifted to more pro-inflammatory M1-like polarized macrophages. Together, these data suggest that lymphocytes are crucial for arteriogenesis by modulating perivascular macrophage polarization.
Keywords: Rag1; absence of B cells; absence of T cells; arteriogenesis; macrophage polarization.