3D-Morphometry of the Microvascular Architecture in Normal Human Tissues, Precanceroses, and Primary Tumors: Quantitative Corrosion Casting Studies

The important question as to whether the vascular architecture of an individual tumor is tumor type specific has been controversial. We have recently shown using a simple and accurate technique for 3D-measurements in microcorrosion casts that at least experimental tumors develop a characteristic vascular network. There is strong evidence that the basic vascular architecture is determined by the tumor cells themselves. However, for human primary tumors and their metastases as well as their possible precanceroses no data are available until today.Therefore we studied the microvascular architecture of different colorectal carcinomas and adenomas as well as the vascularity of different segments of the colon and rectum. For this, parameters defining the microvascular unit were analysed on 3D reconstructed images as recently described.Comparisons of the quantified parameters within a given segment of the colon as well as group comparisons of all segments did not reveal any significant inter-individual difference.

Microvascular Architecture of the Lingual Papillae in Rabbits.

The comparative morphology of the tongue microvasculature has been studied in different animals, such as in man (Okada et al, 1993, Matsukawa and Okada, 1994), rats (Nagato et al., 1989, Ohshima, et al, 1990, Selliseth and Slvig, 1993), dogs (Kishi et al, 1986, Kishi et al 1988), goats(Scala et al, 1992), monkeys (Patterson, et al, 1992, Okada et al, 1993, Matsukawa and Okada, 1994), marmosets (Okada et al, 1993, Matsukawa and Okada, 1994) and shrews (Okada et al, 1993, Matsukawa and Okada, 1994), but apparently none in rabbits. The disposition of the blood vessels of the rabbit's lingual papillae were studied by injecting them with Mercox resin and posterior corrosion, thus obtained microcorrosion casts were observed in the scanning electron microscope.Male and adult rabbits were used to obtain our models. After perfusion with heparin 0,1M, pH 7.4 and glutaraldehyde, both in the same buffer, the vessels were filled as reported above.