Chloroquine improves the response to ischemic muscle injury and increases HMGB1 after arterial ligation

This paper evaluates the expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It further evaluates how HMGB1 expression can be increased by chloroquine, a commonly prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drug that improves blood flow in animal models of ischemia. We and others have shown that HMGB1 has strong proregenerative effects in muscle and may be a novel therapeutic target for patients with nonreconstructable PAD. Our study suggests that chloroquine administration may be a promising avenue for patients with severe PAD.