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1 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
2 Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: elran{at}mayo.edu.
Non-coronary vasa vasorum have been described as networks of microvessels in the wall of arteries and veins. However, we have shown, using micro-CT imaging methods, that porcine coronary vasa vasorum have a tree-like branching structure similar to vasculature in general. In this study we elucidate functional aspects of coronary vasa vasorum perfusion territories. Three pig hearts were injected with radiopaque Microfil® via the coronary sinus to fill the LAD coronary arteries retrogradely at atmospheric pressure. In three other hearts the LADs were injected antegradely, at 100 mmHg pressure, via the LMCA. Additionally, six LADs were injected in vivo with a suspension of 100 or 300 µm diameter microspheres (µsph) prior to harvesting the hearts and injection of the LADs with Microfil®. All harvested LADs were scanned intact with micro-CT (20 µm cubic voxels). The spatial density of vasa vasorum (#/mm2) was measured in 20 µm-thick cross-sections (at 0.4 mm intervals). Retrogradely injected LADs showed high and uniformly distributed vasa vasorum densities in the adventitia (mean±SEM; 5.38±0.09 vs. 3.58±0.1 in antegradely prepared LADs; P<0.001). Antegradely prepared LADs showed patchy distributed, low-vasa-vasorum-density territories especially on the myocardial side of the coronary artery wall (epicardial density: 4.29±0.13 vs. myocardial density: 2.80±0.1; P<0.001). Microembolization reduced vasa vasorum densities significantly (with 100 µm µsph: 3.26±0.07; P<0.05 and with 300 µm µsph: 2.66±0.07, P<0.001 vs. antegrade controls) and increased the size of low vasa-vasorum-density territories. We conclude that coronary vasa vasorum are functional endarteries, not connected via a plexus. This characteristic may have significant impact on the spatial distribution of perfusion and drainage of the coronary vessel wall.
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