Lumbar sympathectomy regulates vascular cell turnover in rat hindfoot plantar skin.
BACKGROUND
Sympathetic denervation and impaired angiogenesis cause skin diseases. However, the relationship between the sympathetic nervous system and vascular cell turnover in normal skin remains unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of sympathetic denervation on vascular cell turnover in normal skin.


METHODS
Rats underwent bilateral L2-4 sympathetic trunk resection (sympathectomy group) or sham operation (control). Hindfoot plantar skin was analyzed 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively.


RESULTS
Mural cell marker (α-smooth muscle actin; p < 0.001, and desmin; p = 0.047) expression decreased 2 weeks after sympathectomy, but recovered 3 months after sympathectomy (p > 0.05). CD31 levels were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at 2 weeks (p = 0.009), but not at 3 months. Von Willebrand factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and angiopoietin-2 expression were not significantly different between the groups (p > 0.05). Angiopoietin-1 expression levels were higher in the experimental group than in the control group at 2 weeks (p = 0.035), but not at 3 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Lumbar sympathectomy regulates vascular cell turnover in rat hindfoot plantar skin by inhibiting mural cell proliferation and increasing angiopoietin-1 expression. Sympathetic nerves therefore play an important role in plantar skin vascular cell turnover.
['Zheng|Zhifang|Z|', 'Wan|Yu|Y|', 'Liu|Yishu|Y|', 'Zhu|Lulu|L|', 'Tang|Jianbing|J|', 'Huang|Wenhua|W|', 'Cheng|Biao|B|']
D000818:Animals D005528:Foot D008297:Male D051381:Rats D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley D012867:Skin D013562:Sympathectomy D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System
sympathectomy Vascular cell turnover skin mural cells angiopoietin-1