title: A KOH-collagenase digestion method for scanning electron microscopic studies of vascular smooth muscle fibers in the human heart.
abstract: The three-dimensional cytoarchitecture of smooth muscle fibers of human cardiac arterial vessels was studied by scanning electron microscopy after removal of extracellular connective tissue matrices with a KOH-collagenase digestion method. Arterioles with an outer diameter of 30-100 microm had a well-developed compact media consisting commonly of circularly oriented smooth muscle fibers. There were also arterioles with oblique or longitudinal muscle fibers in some places. In terminal arterioles with an outer diameter of less than 30 microm, muscle fibers became branched and commonly encircled the endothelial tube. There were some terminal arterioles covered with obliquely arranged smooth muscle fibers. The presence of the regional difference in arrangement of vascular smooth muscle fibers indicates the heterogeneity of blood flows in the level of cardiac microcirculation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ushiki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001160:Arterioles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003094:Collagen / Q000187:drug effects; D017364:Collagenases; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004549:Elastin / Q000187:drug effects; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D016591:Histocytological Preparation Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006878:Hydroxides; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017680:Potassium Compounds
chemical_list: D006878:Hydroxides; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin; D017364:Collagenases; C029943:potassium hydroxide