Quantitative analysis of capillary topography and distribution in heart and brain of cats: intravital microscopic study

Issue title: Hemorheological Approach to Cardiovascular Diseases. Proceedings of the Satellite Meeting of the IV International Congress of Biorheology, Osaka, Japan, 3 August 1981

Guest editors: Hideyuki Niimi, Takehiko Azuma and Yukihide Isogai

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Yamakawa, Takashi^{; *} | Nuccio, Jill | Chang, Bing-Lo | Bing, Richard J.

Affiliations: Huntington Memorial hospital and Huntington Institute of Applied Medical Research Pasadena, Ca., U.S.A.

Note: [*] The present address: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Abstract: By means of transillumination (light pipe and microtransillumination) comparative analyses were carried out in geometry, topography and morphometry of microcirculation between the left atrial muscle and cerebral cortex of the cats using computer analysis. In addition, specific types of capillary distribution (symmetric parallel, symmetric antiparallel and asymmetric distribution) in these two organs was ascertained from images visualized on films. It was found that capillary diameter, intercapillary distance, total capillary length per tissue volume, total capillary surface area per tissue volume, total capillary volume fraction and capillary tortuosity differed significantly between the two organs. The left atrial muscle had a low degree of capillary tortuosity and both symmetric and asymmetric distributions. The cerebral cortex had a high tortuosity and mostly asymmetric distribution. These parameters were organotypic and related to their roles in tissue oxygen supply.

Keywords: Capillary topography, morphometry, microcirculation, cat heart and brain, intravital microscopy, tissue oxygen supply

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1982-21-205

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 2, no. 1-2, pp. 21-30, 1982