Effects of CO 2 water-bath treatment on blood flow and angiogenesis in ischemic hind limb of diabetic rat.

The effects of CO2 water-bath therapy on the hind limb of diabetic animals with or without peripheral ischemia were examined. Diabetes was induced in rats by administering streptozotocin (65 mg·kg-1 ), and the animals were then divided into 3 groups. After 4 weeks, peripheral ischemia was induced by ligation of the femoral artery for 2 weeks in 2 groups (diabetic ischemic) of diabetic rats, whereas the femoral artery was not occluded in the third group (diabetic). All these animals were subjected to water-bath therapy (with or without CO2 mixing; 20 min·day-1 for 5 days·week-1 ) for a period of 4 weeks. Both peak and mean flows, unlike minimal flow, in diabetic ischemic limbs were increased about a twofold by CO2 water-bath treatment. Morphological examination of hind limb tissue sections revealed about a twofold increase in the small artery count in diabetic ischemic animals upon CO2 water-bath treatment. These results indicate that CO2 water-bath therapy augments the blood flow and development of angiogenesis in the skeletal muscle of diabetic ischemic animals and thus may be of some benefit for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease in diabetes.