Using Mercox CL-2B, intravascular casting was performed follwoing intracameral injection with 2.0microgram/microliter of Endothelin-1(ET-1) in the rabbit eye. One hour after intracameral injection with ET-1 caused severe focal andsegmental constriction of major arterial circle(MAC). Obstruction of the small branch of MAC caused localized filling defect and decreased number of capillaries in the vascular cast. The diameters of vascular cast were reduced at about 22.2% in proximal MAC, 22.4% in distal MAC and 21.8% in first branch of MAC. This results were suggested that ET-1 may play a role in the regulation of blood flow in the anterior segment vasculature of the rabbit.
Capillaries ; Constriction ; Endothelin-1* ; Microvessels*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the effect of detrusor overactivity induced by partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) on the expression of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and caveolin 1 (CAV1) in the rat urinary bladder, and to determine the role of these molecules in detrusor overactivity. METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (n=30) and experimental (n=30) groups. The BOO group underwent partial BOO, and the control group underwent a sham operation. After 4 weeks, an urodynamic study was performed to measure the contraction interval and contraction pressure. The expression and cellular localization of AQP1 and CAV1 were determined by western blot and immunofluorescence experiments in the rat urinary bladder. RESULTS: In cystometrograms, the contraction interval was significantly lower in the BOO group (2.9+/-1.5 minutes) than in the control group (6.7+/-1.0 minutes) (P<0.05). Conversely, the average contraction pressure was significantly higher in the BOO group (21.2+/-3.3 mmHg) than in the control group (13.0+/-2.5 mmHg) (P<0.05). AQP1 and CAV1 were coexpressed in the capillaries, arterioles, and venules of the suburothelial layer. AQP1 and CAV1 protein expression was significantly increased in the BOO rats compared to the control rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Detrusor overactivity induced by BOO causes a significant increase in the expression of AQP1 and CAV1, which were coexpressed in the suburothelial microvasculature. This finding suggests that AQP1 and CAV1 might be closely related to bladder signal activity and may have a functional role in BOO-associated detrusor overactivity.
Animals ; Aquaporin 1 ; Arterioles ; Blotting, Western ; Capillaries ; Caveolin 1* ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Microvessels ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urodynamics ; Urothelium* ; Venules

OBJECTIVE: Tumor angiogenesis is believed to conelate with tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Studies of angiogenesis in breast, prostate and melanoma have shown that angiogenesis, the induction of new capillaries and venules, is associated with tumor metastases and recurrences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the angiogenesis as a prognostic factor in invasive cervical cancer. METHODS: Forty-three formalin fixed embedded blocks of invasive cervical cancers were examined using immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against factor VIII-related antigen. RESULTS: The miaovessel counts were 53.50+/-20,07 in patients with lymph node metastasis, and 45.97+/-28.12 in those without such metastasis. There was a trend for the microvessel count to increase with lymph node metastasis. However, thae was no significant difference in microvessel counts regarding node status. There was no significant difference between microvessel counts in patients with stage I(47.90+/-25.89) and those with stage Il(45.50+/-29.27), The microvessel counts in squamous cell carcinoma(46.54+/-27.79) were not significantly different from those in adenocarcinoma(47,50+/-27.05), The microvessel count in patients with tumor size >-4 cm(53.00+/-21.17) was not significantly higher than in those with tumar size <4 cm(46.20+/-27.94). CONCLUSION: There was no significant correlation between microvessel counts and clinical stage of disease, pathological type, tumor size or lymph node metastasis in patients with invasive cervical cancer. There was a trend for the microvessel count to increase with lymph node etastasis.
Breast ; Capillaries ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostate ; Recurrence ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Venules ; von Willebrand Factor

PURPOSE: We attempted to evaluate the relationship between transarteiral chemoembolization (TACE) and injury to the peribiliary plexus by evaluating the number of microvessels in the peribiliary plexus of surgical specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical specimens were obtained from 78 hepatocellular carcinoma patients and 22 patients with liver metastases. They were divided into 4 groups (Group 1; hepatocellular carcinoma without TACE [n=30], Group 2; hepatocellular carcinoma receiving preoperative TACE once [n=37], Group 3; hepatocellular carcinoma receiving preoperative TACE more than two times [n=11] and Group 4; metastatic carcinoma of the liver patients without a history of liver disease [n=22]). Immunohistochemical staining for factor VIII-related antigen was performed in all the specimens and the number of microvessels in the inner capillary layer and the outer venous layer of the bile duct (> 200 micrometer in diameter) was counted. RESULTS: The mean numbers of microvessels in the inner capillary layer were 4.50, 4.08, 1.64 and 2.05, and those in the outer venous layer were 25.23, 20.00, 18.36 and 12.32 for the 4 groups, respectively. The number of microvessels in group 4 was statistically fewer than that of group 1 (p<0.01). In the hepatocellular carcinoma patients, the number of microvessels was decreased as the number of TACE sessions was increased. CONCLUSION: The number of microvessels in the peribiliary plexus is increased in chronic liver disease patients. It may be from the increased portal pressure and flow stagnation in the sinusoidal and portal venules. TACE can have an effect on microvascular injury of the peibiliary plexus, and this can be a cause of bile duct necrosis and biloma.
Bile Ducts ; Capillaries ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Microvessels ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Portal Pressure ; Venules ; von Willebrand Factor

The present study examined the uptake of blood borne horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by perivascular cells in the senescence -accelerated mouse prone -10 (SAMP10) and the senescence -accelerated mouse resistant -1 (SAMR1) brains. SAMP10 and SAMR1 brains were studied from mice of each of the following ages: 3 months old SAMP10, 12 ~14 months old SAMP10, 3 months old SAMR1, and 12 ~14 months old SAMR1. Animals were injected via a tail vein with HRP (type VI) solution. Two hours later animals were transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and 1% glutaraldehyde mixture. After sectioning with a vibrating microtome, brain sections were stained using a DAB solution. Products of the HRP -DAB reaction were frequently and intensely labelled in the perivascular cells along the microvasculature, especially in the young SAMP10 brain. Electron microscopy revealed that the reaction products were evident in the endothelium of the microvasculature, as well as the perivascular phagocytes of arterioles or venules. In the aged SAMP10, the number of perivascular cells showing HRP -reaction products was lower than in the young SAMP10. Under the electron microscope, the perivascular cells of the aged SAMP10 brain showed very weak intensity of HRP staining, and these cells contained abundant foamy vacuoles or lipid droplets. In both young and aged SAMR1 brains, labelled perivascular phagocytes were very occasionally found. In summary, the present results showed increased uptake of blood -borne HRP by perivascular phagocytes in the young SAMP10 brain, and the age related decrease of this labelling, which suggests altered microvascular barrier function with aging in the SAMP10 brain.
Aging ; Animals ; Arterioles ; Brain* ; Endothelium ; Glutaral ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Humans ; Infant ; Mice ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microvessels ; Phagocytes* ; Vacuoles ; Veins ; Venules

Angiogenesis, the induction of new capillaries and venules, is associated with tumor growth. This study was designed to determine whether cervical carcinomas are angiogenic, and to investigate whether tumor angiogenesis can serve as a prognostic factor in cervical carcinoma. Surgical specimens of 47 cervical carcinomas were immunohistochemically stained specifically for endothelial cells with factor VIII-related antigen to identify all vessels. Microvessels were counted from photographs of 200x microscopic fields. In addition, thirty-seven cases were studied by immunohistochemical means using the monoclonal antibodies for PCNA and for Ki-67 to determine tumor cell proliferation rates in cervical carcinomas. The microvessel count(MVC), the PCNA labelling index, and the Ki-67 index were calculated and compared with known prognostic factors and disease free survival rates in cervical carcinomas. A wide range in the MVC count(range 12-100 mean=38.2+/-19.2), the PCNA labeling index(8-69% mean=33.6+/-15.2%), and in the extent of Ki-67 staining(0-43% mean=10.3+/-10.5%) was observed, indicating considerable variation of tumor angiogenic activity and tumor growth rates. This study showed statistically significant correlations in disease free survival rates with both lymph node status and the microvessel count. However, there was no significant difference in disease free survival rates between tumor stage, age, the PCNA labelling index, and the Ki-67 index.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Capillaries ; Cell Proliferation ; Cervix Uteri* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Lymph Nodes ; Microvessels ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Venules ; von Willebrand Factor

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by the pericyte loss, microaneurysms and neovascularization eventually leads to blindness. The present study was examined changes of the microvasculature histochemically and immunochemically in the diabetic rat retina previously documented neuronal alterations, in order to verify the usefulness of the animal model of diabetes for the pathophysiology of angiogenesis. Diabetic condition was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin in Sprague-Dawley rats aged of 8weeks. The animals showing high blood glucose levels (above 300 mg/dL) were cared for 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. The retinas were processed for Griffonia simplicifolia isolection (GSI) B4 histochmistry, and anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and anti-NG2 immunochemical techniques. The retinal vasculature was well demarcated by endothelial profiles with GSIB4 histochemistry. alpha-SMA immunoreactivity appeared in the arterioles and the primary capillaries, and NG2 in the arterioles and the whole capillary beds. Changes evoked by diabetes were largely occurred in the capillary. Compared to the retina at normal state, the capillary networks were more complicated, enlarged, and dense. NG2 reactivity was reduced especially under the cytoplasmic processes of the pericytes. In the near periphery of the capillary mainly in the ganglion cell layer of the diabetes, GSIB4 reactive microglia were distributed. These results suggest that the retinal microvasculature showed the precedent events of neovascularization due to diabetes and rat model of diabetes is useful for study of neovascularization mechanism of the diabetic retinopathy.
Actins ; Aged ; Animals ; Arterioles ; Blindness ; Blood Glucose ; Capillaries ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Ganglion Cysts ; Griffonia ; Humans ; Immunochemistry ; Injections, Intravenous ; Microglia ; Microvessels ; Models, Animal ; Muscles ; Neurons ; Pericytes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Streptozocin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ability to study microvessels of a beating heart in real time at the level of the capillary is essential for research. However, there are no proven methods currently available to achieve this. The conventional absorption-contrast agents have limitations for studying capillaries. Microangiography with using synchrotron phase-contrast X-ray technology and no contrast agent has recently been reported on. We tried to verify this previous report, and we wanted to visualize the microvessels of a rat heart using air as a contrast agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We made the Langendorff apparatus in a hutch of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. The images were obtained with a white beam and a monochromatic beam. The visual images were magnified using 3x and 20x optical microscope lenses, and the images were captured with a charge-coupled device camera. RESULTS: We could not duplicate the previously reported findings in which microvessels were visualized without the use of contrast agent. But with using air as a contrast agent, the microvasculature of rat hearts was clearly identified at a spatial resolution of 1.2 microm. Air being absorbed inside a capillary was also observed. Vessels under 10 microm diameter were unable to be visualized with using iodine as a contrast agent. CONCLUSION: Phase contrast imaging already allows spatial resolution of 1 microm, which is enough to inspect capillaries. We were able to obtain images of cardiac capillaries with using air as a contrast agent. Yet air has the fatal limitations in that it causes embolism and ischemia. A more suitable contrast agent or imaging method needs to be developed in order to study the microvessels of a beating heart.
Animals ; Capillaries ; Contrast Media ; Embolism ; Heart ; Humans ; Iodine ; Ischemia ; Microvessels ; Rats ; Synchrotrons

Basal cell carcinoma(BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are very prevalent neoplasms of the human skin. Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is a well-established mutagen of the p53 gene and is one of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The newly-formed vascular network is important for neoplasms to grow beyond a size of about 1 mm2. Recent reports have suggested the hypothesis that a mutant p53 protein is closely related with capillary density. Immumohistochemistry for p53 protein and CD34 was performed in 20 cases of BCCs and 14 SCCs to evaluated the relationship between p53 protein and capillary density. The results were as follows:1. The microvessels stained by CD34 were mainly located in the interface of tumor cells and stroma. 2. There was no difference in the microvessel density according to the histologic types and age of the patients, but a higher microvessel density was noted in male patients. 3. The aggressive BCCs and the less-differentiated SCCs showed higher p53 immunostaining. 4. The mean microvessel density of cases showing strong positive immunostaining of the p53 gene(54.73+/-17.75) was higher than that of others(39.75+/-18.30). These results suggested that p53 protein expression and microvessel density are not related to the histologic types and age of the patients, but that differentiation and biologic behavior such as the infiltrating property of tumors and the microvessel density are closely related to p53 protein expression.
Capillaries ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels* ; Skin* ; Sunlight

Pulmonary hemangiomatosis is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse proliferating microvessels that infiltrate not only the lung but also all of the thoracic tissues. The disease is rapidly progressive and usually results in death due to complications of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hemorrhage. There are two histologic patterns of pulmonary hemangiomatosis : capillary and cavernous. We describe a 21-year-old man with cavernous-type pulmonary hemangiomatosis presented with right side shoulder pain. He was treated with percutaneous transarterial embolization and then followed with interferon alfa-2a for one year with favorable clinical and radiological response.
Capillaries ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Interferons ; Lung ; Microvessels ; Rare Diseases ; Shoulder Pain* ; Shoulder* ; Young Adult