Microvascular Corrosion Casting in Scanning Electron Microscopy

I Techniques of Microvascular Corrosion-Casting.- 1. Corrosion Casting-A Historical Review.- 1.1. Pre-Corrosion Casting Era.- 1.2. Corrosion Casting Era.- 2. Principles and Fundamentals of Microvascular Corrosion Casting for SEM Studies.- 2.1. Physico-Chemical Properties of Casting Media.- 2.1.1. Chemistry.- 2.1.2. Viscosity.- 2.1.3. Replication Quality.- 2.1.4. Corrosion Resistance.- 2.1.5. Shrinkage.- 2.1.6. Spatial Distortions.- 2.1.7. Thermostability.- 2.1.8. Electrical Properties.- 2.2. Pretreatment of Objects for Casting Studies.- 2.2.1. Anticoagulants.- 2.2.2. Vasoactive Drugs.- 2.2.3. Spasmolytic Drugs.- 2.2.4. Anesthesia.- 2.2.5. Preparation of the Injection Site.- 2.3. Fundamentals of Perfusion and Infusion Techniques.- 2.3.1. Perfusion Pressure.- 2.3.2. Perfusates.- 2.3.3. Perfusion Apparatus.- 2.4. Treatment of Injected Specimens (Tissue, Organs, Whole Bodies).- 2.4.1. Polymerization.- 2.4.2. Maceration.- 2.4.3. Decalcification.- 2.4.4. Cleaning (Rinsing) Procedures.- 2.4.5. Drying Vascular Corrosion Casts.- 2.4.6. Mounting the Specimens.- 2.4.7. Rendering Casts Conductive.- 3. Fundamentals of Scanning Electron Microscopy.- 3.1. Scanning Electron Microscope Column.- 3.1.1. Beam Generating System: Electron Gun.- 3.1.2. High Vacuum System.- 3.1.3. Focusing and Scanning System.- 3.2. Specimen Chamber.- 3.2.1. Specimen Stage.- 3.2.2. Detector.- 4. Producing Optimal Microvascular Corrosion Casts-A Practical Guide.- 4.1. Materials and Equipment for Preparing Microvascular Corrosion Casts.- 4.1.1. Rinsing (Flushing) Solutions.- 4.1.2. Fixatives.- 4.1.3. Perfusers and Infusers.- 4.1.4. Tubings, Needles and Cannulas for Injection.- 4.1.5. Micromanipulators.- 4.2. Casting Media.- 4.2.1. Mercox-Cl-2B (2R, 2Y).- 4.2.2. Improved Murakami's Plastic.- 4.2.3. Batson's # 17.- 4.2.4. Araldite CY 223 According to Hanstede and Gerrits.- 4.2.5. Polyester.- 4.2.6. Tardoplast According to Amselgruber et al..- 4.2.7. Latex According to Frasca et al..- 4.2.8. Plastogen G According to Rosenbauer and Kegel.- 4.3. Whole Animal Injections.- 4.3.1. Preparation.- 4.3.2. Injection.- 4.4. Casting the Vascular Bed of Excised Tissues and Organs.- 4.4.1. Pretreatment of Excised Tissues and Organs.- 4.4.2. Preparation of Vessels for Cannulation.- 4.4.3. Specific Needs.- 4.5. From the Injected Object to a Clean, dry Microvascular Corrosion Cast.- 4.5.1. Polymerization (= Setting, Curing, Solidifying, Hardening).- 4.5.2. Maceration (= Digestion, Corrosion).- 4.5.3. Decalcification.- 4.5.4. Intermediate Rinsing.- 4.5.5. Final Cleaning of Specimen.- 4.5.6. Drying Microvascular Corrosion Casts.- 4.6. Mounting Corrosion Casts.- 4.6.1. Specimen Stubs.- 4.6.2. Materials for Mounting Vascular Casts.- 4.7. Rendering Vascular Corrosion Casts Conductive.- 4.7.1. Chemical Methods.- 4.7.2. Physical Methods.- 4.8. Examining the Vascular Corrosion Cast in the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).- 4.8.1. Running the SEM.- 4.8.2. Specimen Stages.- 4.8.3. Documentation.- 5. Identification and Interpretation of Cast Vessel Structures.- 5.1. Differentiation of Vessel Types.- 5.1.1. Arterial Vessels.- 5.1.2. Venous Vessels.- 5.1.3. Capillaries.- 5.1.4. Sinusoids.- 5.2. Specific Structures of Cast Vessels.- 5.2.1. Venous Valves.- 5.2.2. Intraarterial Cushions.- 5.2.3. Endothelial Cell Structure.- 5.2.4. Trapped Blood Cells.- 5.3. Surface Structures of Microvascular Casts Reflecting Vessel Wall Components.- 5.3.1. Smooth Muscle Cells of the Vessel Media.- 6. Quantification of Microvascular Corrosion Casts.- 6.1. Parameters to be Measured in Microvascular Corrosion Casts.- 6.1.1. Diameter (Radius), Perimeter, Length.- 6.1.2. Branching Angles and Polar Coordinates.- 6.2. Methods for Quantification of Microvascular Corrosion Casts.- 6.2.1. Planimetry.- 6.2.2. Point-Counting Methods.- 6.2.3. Image Analysis.- II Microangioarchitecture of Selected Organ Systems.- 1. The Cardiovascular and Respiratory System.- 1.1. The Cardiovascular System.- 1.1.1. The Arteries, Veins and Capillarias.- 1.1.2. The Heart.- 1.2. The Respiratory System.- 1.2.1. The Lung.- 1.2.2. The Pleura.- 1.2.3. The Trachea and Larynx.- 2. The Digestive Tract.- 2.1. Oral Tissue.- 2.1.1. The Tongue.- 2.1.2. The Gingival, Buccal, and Palatal Tissue.- 2.1.3. The Teeth.- 2.1.3.1. The Periodontal Ligament.- 2.1.3.2. The Dental Pulp.- 2.1.4. The Salivary Glands.- 2.2. The Esophagus, Stomach, Small and Large Intestine.- 2.2.1. The Esophagus.- 2.2.2. The Stomach.- 2.2.3. The Samll Intestine.- 2.2.4. The Large Intestine.- 2.3. The Liver, Gallbladder, Bile Ducts and Duodenal Papilla.- 2.3.1. The Liver.- 2.3.2. Gallbladder and Bile Ducts.- 2.3.3. Duodenal Papilla.- 3. The Endocrine System.- 3.1. The Pancreas.- 3.2. The Thyroid and Parathyroid Gland.- 3.3. The Adrenal Gland.- 3.4. The Stannius Corpuscle.- 4. The Urinary System.- 4.1. The Kidney.- 4.2. The Ureter and Urinary Bladder.- 5. The Reproductive System.- 5.1. The Testis, Vas Deferens, Spermatic Cord, and Epididymis.- 5.2. The Penis.- 5.3. The Prostate.- 5.4. The Ovary.- 5.5. The Uterus.- 5.6. The Uterine Tube.- 5.7. The Placenta.- 5.8. The Mammary Gland.- 6. The Hematopoetic System.- 6.1. The Spleen.- 6.2. The Thymus.- 6.3. The Bone Marrow.- 7. The Lymphatics.- 8. The Nervous System.- 8.1. The Central Nervous System.- 8.1.1. Main Cerebral Blood Supply.- 8.1.2. Microvascular Architecture of Selected Brain Areas.- 8.1.2.1. Cerebral and Cerebellar Cortex.- 8.1.2.2. Circumventricular Organs.- 8.1.2.3. Hypothalamus.- 8.1.2.4. Hypophysis.- 8.2. Peripheral Nerves.- 9. The Peripheral Sense Organs.- 9.1. The Gustatory Apparatus.- 9.2. The Olfactory Apparatus.- 9.3. The Visual Apparatus.- 9.4. The Auditory Apparatus.- 9.5. The Integument.