Structural and Functional Properties of Venous Wall: Relationship between Elastin, Collagen, and Smooth Muscle Components and Viscoelastic Properties

Figure 2

Illustration of the histological analysis processing stages in an ovine femoral vein. Bottom panel: characteristic colors of the histological preparations, from left to right: elastin, smooth muscle, collagen, and the original image, where the three integrated constituents can be visualized throughout the vascular wall. Top panel: similar discrimination with assigned fictional colors that allow a clearer visualization of the location of each wall constituent. Note the thin layer of smooth muscle and the large amount of elastic tissue.