Experimental Rat and Mouse Carotid Artery Surgery: Injury and Remodeling Studies
Figure 2
Representative Verhoeff-Van Gieson-stained cross-sections of rat left common carotid arteries. (a) A whole cross-section of an uninjured artery is shown with a patent lumen (L), a single cell layer thick intima (arrow), a VSM-rich medial wall, and a collagen-rich adventitia. (b) A higher magnification photo of an uninjured artery with expanded details is shown. (c) At 2 weeks after balloon injury an injured artery is shown with a significantly reduced lumen and a robust concentric neointima. (d) A higher magnification photo of an injured artery obtained 2 weeks after the injury clearly showing an elastin-rich neointima and enhanced medial wall elastin content. In all of these photomicrographs elastin fibers stained black (including the elastic laminae), and collagen and associated matrix components stained red (primarily the adventitia).
