Femoral artery diameter and arteriogenic cytokines in healthy women

Animal studies have identified monocyte chemoattractive protein-1 (MCP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as critical mediators of arterial diameter enlargement in response to chronic increases in blood flow (arteriogenesis). Furthermore, cellular studies have shown that the shear stresses resulting from increased blood flow stimulate synthesis of MCP-1, which in turn stimulates synthesis of VEGF. The purpose of this study was to determine if these mechanisms are evident in healthy women. Resting femoral artery diameter and blood flow, lean leg mass, MCP-1 and VEGF concentrations, and aerobic capacity were measured in 34 healthy women along with plasma concentrations of lipids associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Femoral artery diameter was independently related to metabolically active (lean) leg mass (b = 0.41, P = 0.008) and aerobic capacity (b = 0.45, P = 0.004). Plasma MCP-1 correlated negatively with the ratio of femoral artery diameter to lean leg mass (b = − 0.42, P = 0.009) and positively with serum triglycerides (b = 0.46, P = 0.005). Plasma VEGF exhibited similar correlations and strongly correlated with MCP-1 (R = 0.92, P < 0.0001). The results indicate that circulating MCP-1 and VEGF concentrations are associated with both arteriogenic and atherogenic stimuli in healthy women.