Effect of local injection of rh-sCD146 in a rat ischemic hind-limb model. (A) Ischemic rats were subjected to a daily local injection of either 10 μg/mL c-myc peptide or 10 μg/mL rh-sCD146 for 5 or 12 days. Auto-amputation level and blood perfusion rate were monitored. Results are mean values of 9 different animals in each group. *P < .05, experimental versus control. (B) Histochemical examination of hind-limb muscle sections from control, c-myc peptide-treated, or rh-sCD146–treated rats 12 days after surgery. Muscle features, including inflammation and fibrosis levels, amount of necrotic fibers, angiogenesis, and muscle aspect in control animals, c-myc–treated, and rh-sCD146–treated rats (12 days) are described using a semiquantification system: − indicates absence; ±, low expression; +, intermediate expression; and ++, high expression. (C) Coimmunostainings were performed with anti-CD117 (green) and anti-CD146 (red) antibodies in muscle sections of ischemic rats treated for 2 days with rh-sCD146 or not (control). Nuclei were labeled with DAPI (blue). The merge pictures are given. Yellow areas correspond to a colabeling (indicated with an arrow).