Endocardial coronary microcirculation of the beating heart.
Direct and continuous observation of subendocardial (deep myocardial) microcirculation provides essential information on coronary circulation, since cardiac contraction affects subendocardial vessels most vigorously. To achieve this aim, we developed a portable needle-probe video-microscope with a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera to visualize the subendocardial microcirculation. Images of the subendocardial microcirculation of a porcine beating heart were successfully observed in all cases. The vascular compression by cardiac contraction decreased the diameter of subendocardial arterioles and venules by about 20%.
Kajiya
F
F
Department of Medical Engineering and Systems Cardiology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Yada
T
T
Kimura
A
A
Hiramatsu
O
O
Goto
M
M
Ogasawara
Y
Y
Tsujioka
K
K
D000818:Animals; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004699:Endocardium / Q000502:physiology*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D014741:Video Recording