title: Microarterial pattern of human kidney.
abstract: The study of microarterial pattern of human kidney by Butylbuterate and Microfil Silicone Rubber compound cast technique has been carried out. The arcuate arteries and their major intrarenal branches were seen running in the tissue tunnels (the area devoid of glomeruli and capillary plexus) not observed by any other worker in the field. The aglomerular giant arterioles arising from arcuate and interlobar arteries were observed. Afferent arteriole feeds glomerulus and afferent breaks up into capillary plexus. Aglomerular afferents have also been observed. Glomeruli were distributed right underneath the renal capsule. Vasa-recta, from arcuate artery and capillary plexus at the corticomedullary junction were running almost a straight course deep into the medulla unlike the observations of Castelli and Huelke (1968) who noticed the tortuous course. However the present study revealed that the vasa-recta become highly tortuous when they terminate by anastomosing with each other at the apex of the renal papilla. When a major artery pierces through the vasa-recta bundle near corticomedullary junction, the bundle divides into 2 and each half arches round that vessel to continue as a single bundle.
mesh_terms: D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000098:blood supply; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000098:blood supply; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000098:blood supply; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*