Evaluation of angiogenesis in delayed skin flaps using a monoclonal antibody for the vascular endothelium

• Published in: British journal of plastic surgery 1995-10, Vol.48 (7), p.479-486
• Main Authors: Arranz Lo´pez, J.ose´Luis, Nieto, Carlos Sua´rez, Garcia, Pedro Barthe, Ortega, Jose´Manuel Rojo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biological and medical sciences; Biometry; Coloring Agents; Endothelium, Vascular - immunology; Endothelium, Vascular - physiology; Graft Survival; Immunohistochemistry; Medical sciences; Neovascularization, Physiologic - physiology; Rabbits; Skin - blood supply; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical Flaps; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0007-1226; 1465-3087
• DOI: 10.1016/0007-1226(95)90124-8

The angiogenic process in delayed and undelayed flaps was evaluated in relation to different periods of delay (6 h, 72 h and 7 days) and at different times after the definitive elevation of the flaps (48 h, 96 h and 7 days). An immunohistochemical method has been tested to stain the endothelial cells of capillaries and venules, providing a high specificity for labelling these vessels. No signs of angiogenesis were found in undelayed and 6-h delayed flaps at 48 h but there was an increase of capillaries from 48 h to 7 days after elevation of the flaps. The 72-h and 7-day delayed flaps showed signs of angiogenesis at 48 h and the capillary development went on increasing to the 7th day after definitive flap elevation (p < 0.05). The surviving lengths of these groups of flaps were higher than the control and 6-h delayed flaps (p < 0.05). These results indicate that an angiogenic process can be implicated in the physiology of the delay phenomenon.