Histologic observation of continuity of transmural microvessels between the perigraft vessels and flow surface microostia in a porous vascular prosthesis.
To ascertain the histologic relationship between flow surface microostia and perigraft vessels in the healing of a porous vascular prosthesis, a series of careful histologic examinations were carried out on a preclotted, knitted Dacron graft, 8 mm in diameter and 7 cm long, after implantation in the canine infrarenal abdominal aorta for 3 months. Four adjacent longitudinal tissue blocks were taken from the middle for evaluation by means of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and immunocytochemical staining, and the remainder of the specimen was stained with silver nitrate to allow visualization of microostia and cell borders on the flow surface. Following identification of two microostia adjacent to the area where samples had been taken for general healing evaluation, a 3 x 8 mm full-thickness block containing the microostia was embedded in glycol methacrylate and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Of 240 serial sections cut from this block, 80 were prepared and examined. Silver staining revealed 42 microostia on the flow surface. Light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy with endothelial factor VIII/von Willebrand factor stain confirmed a single layer of endothelial cells on the flow surface, and beneath was a well-organized neointima containing fusiform cells confirmed as smooth muscle by alpha-actin stain. Light microscopy of the serial sections revealed transmural microvessels, lined with endothelium, extending continuously between the flow surface ostia and the perigraft vessels in this porous vascular prosthesis.
Wu
M H
MH
Hope Heart Institute, Seattle, WA 98122, USA.
Shi
Q
Q
Onuki
Y
Y
Kouchi
Y
Y
Sauvage
L R
LR
D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D004285:Dogs; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D016622:Silver Staining; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology