Vascularisation of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle is mainly involved in physical activity and movement, which requires a large amount of glucose, fatty acids, and oxygen. These materials are supplied by blood vessels and incorporated into the muscle fiber through the cell membrane. In contrast, metabolic waste is discarded outside the cell membrane and removed by blood vessels. The formation of a functional, integrated vascular network is a fundamental process in the growth and maintenance of skeletal muscle. On the other hand, vascularization is one of the main central components in skeletal muscle regeneration. In order for regeneration to occur, blood vessels must invade the transplanted muscle. This is confirmed by the fact that muscle regeneration occurred from the outside of the muscle bundle toward the inner regions. In fact, it is likely that capillary formation is a key process to start muscle regeneration. Thus, vascularization activates muscle regeneration, and a decrease in vascularization could lead to disruption the process of muscle regeneration. Also, a better understanding of vascularization of skeletal muscle necessary for the successful formation of collateral arteries and recovery of injured skeletal muscle may lead to more successful strategies for skeletal muscle regeneration and engineering. So, in this chapter, we want to review vascularization in skeletal muscle