Mechanistic effects of percutaneous needle fasciotomy on immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in rats: focus on angiogenesis and the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway

Mechanistic effects of percutaneous needle fasciotomy on immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in rats: focus on angiogenesis and the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Mechanistic effects of percutaneous needle fasciotomy on immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in rats: focus on angiogenesis and the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway meixuan lu, wanrong li, han zhang, wenrui jia, yi zhang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8658925/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Objective This study aims to investigate the effect of Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy intervention on angiogenesis in disuse-induced gastrocnemius muscle atrophy in rats and its relationship with the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway. Methods : Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: blank, model, Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy, and stretching, with six rats in each group. Atrophy was induced by 4-week immobilization. The PNF group received a single fascial incision followed by dorsiflexion stretching; the stretching group received stretching alone. After the intervention, the range of motion (ROM) of the ankle joint and the hindlimb grip strength in each group of rats were assessed. Subsequently, the expression of proteins related to the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway was analyzed using molecular biology techniques. Results : Compared with the blank group, the model group showed significant reductions in functional indicators (ankle ROM and grip strength), vascular markers (CD31, CD34, and related mRNAs), and key proteins of the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway (Tie-2, Ang-1, Src, VEGF) (P < 0.05), while HIF-1α expression was upregulated (P < 0.05). The stretching group showed no significant improvement versus the model group. In contrast, the PNF group exhibited a significant reversal of all these impairments (P < 0.05), with effects superior to the stretching group (P < 0.05). Conclusion : Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy intervention promotes angiogenesis and facilitates the recovery of atrophied muscle, potentially via the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway. Biological sciences/Cell biology Health sciences/Diseases Health sciences/Medical research Biological sciences/Physiology Muscle Atrophy Gastrocnemius Muscle Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy Immobilization-Induced HIF-1α/VEGF Angiogenesis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplementarymaterial1.19.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 10 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 29 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 27 Jan, 2026 Editor invited by journal 23 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 22 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 21 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8658925","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":581004138,"identity":"a6b491da-0701-4b79-b2bf-9cb2f6f78ec3","order_by":0,"name":"meixuan lu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"meixuan","middleName":"","lastName":"lu","suffix":""},{"id":581004139,"identity":"a20f6d5d-1e11-4fcf-aff9-5a73f1172395","order_by":1,"name":"wanrong li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing University of Chinese 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Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Muscle Atrophy, Gastrocnemius Muscle, Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy, Immobilization-Induced, HIF-1α/VEGF, Angiogenesis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8658925/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8658925/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eObjective\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study aims to investigate the effect of Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy intervention on angiogenesis in disuse-induced gastrocnemius muscle atrophy in rats and its relationship with the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.\u003cb\u003eMethods\u003c/b\u003e: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: blank, model, Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy, and stretching, with six rats in each group. Atrophy was induced by 4-week immobilization. The PNF group received a single fascial incision followed by dorsiflexion stretching; the stretching group received stretching alone. After the intervention, the range of motion (ROM) of the ankle joint and the hindlimb grip strength in each group of rats were assessed. Subsequently, the expression of proteins related to the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway was analyzed using molecular biology techniques. \u003cb\u003eResults\u003c/b\u003e: Compared with the blank group, the model group showed significant reductions in functional indicators (ankle ROM and grip strength), vascular markers (CD31, CD34, and related mRNAs), and key proteins of the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway (Tie-2, Ang-1, Src, VEGF) (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), while HIF-1α expression was upregulated (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). The stretching group showed no significant improvement versus the model group. In contrast, the PNF group exhibited a significant reversal of all these impairments (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), with effects superior to the stretching group (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). \u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c/b\u003e: Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy intervention promotes angiogenesis and facilitates the recovery of atrophied muscle, potentially via the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Mechanistic effects of percutaneous needle fasciotomy on immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in rats: focus on angiogenesis and the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-29 20:37:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8658925/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-10T21:45:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-06T08:27:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-06T06:59:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"46417812487891871154407202007844220235","date":"2026-02-05T06:46:09+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"317257093736000680024709868777688782890","date":"2026-01-29T09:08:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-27T07:52:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-23T17:26:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-22T05:19:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-22T05:18:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2026-01-21T10:45:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1257c785-1f7e-4aeb-ad95-6ef62404abde","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 29th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":61804206,"name":"Biological sciences/Cell biology"},{"id":61804207,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases"},{"id":61804208,"name":"Health sciences/Medical research"},{"id":61804209,"name":"Biological sciences/Physiology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-18T15:53:18+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-29 20:37:41","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8658925","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8658925","identity":"rs-8658925","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}