title: [Histochemical study of elastic system fibers of the walls of normal and pathological saphenous veins].
abstract: Normal, varicose and phlebitic saphenous veins were studied by histochemical methods to establish the qualitative variations of their structural components. The histologic preparations were stained by hematoxylin-eosin Gomori's trichrome, orcinol-neofuchsin and resorcin-fuchsin. Normal saphenous vein showed two layers of smooth muscle cells--an internal circular and an external longitudinal. The components of the elastic system were found in the three layers. Elastic fibers were present in the adventitia under an elongated and wavy conformation. In the media they were present in the external portion. Elaunin fibers were found in the media and intima. The oxytalan fibers were not consistently found. The media and intima of varicose veins showed contracted smooth muscle cells associated with fragmented elastic fibers and augmentation of elaunin fibers. In cases of thrombophlebitis the same alterations observed in varicose veins were found together with a decrease of elastic system fibers in the media and intima. The muscle cells showed a loss of their morphologic characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Histologie, Université d'Etat de Rio de Janeiro, Brésil.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Apfel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cotta Pereira
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mattos da Silveira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
mesh_terms: D003285:Contractile Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004547:Elastic Tissue; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003285:Contractile Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; C049028:elaunin; C016598:microfibrillar protein
vernacular_title: Etude histochimique des fibres du système élastique dans les parois des veines saphènes normales et pathologiques.