title: Acridine orange staining method to reveal the characteristic features of an intravascular threadlike structure.
abstract: A threadlike structure in blood vessels that is considered part of the Bohghan duct system was first reported about 40 years ago. This structure has remained elusive since then due to the inability of other researchers to duplicate the original identification. In this study we identified the characteristic features of this threadlike structure in rats by the use of fluorescent microscope imaging of nuclei stained by acridine orange perfusion. The nuclei of the tissue that comprises the structure are rod-shaped, 10-20 microm long, and aligned in a broken-line striped fashion. The novel technique reported here can differentiate the intravascular threadlike structure from the fibrin strings that normally form during perfusion and can confound the observation procedure. The physiological function of the threadlike structure remains to be elucidated; however, further study may provide a new understanding of mammalian biology in general, and of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in particular.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Physics Laboratory, School of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Cheon
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ku Youn
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.forename: Hyeon-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Johng
authors.forename: Tae Jeong
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jawoong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Baeckkyoung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Chunho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Won-Hee
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eun-Sung
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae-Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yeo-Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kwang-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Soh
mesh_terms: D000165:Acridine Orange; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051381:Rats; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000165:Acridine Orange