Gd. Phillips et al., AGE-RELATED ALTERATIONS IN THE MORPHOLOGY OF FEMORAL-ARTERY VASA VASORUM IN THE RAT, Mechanism of ageing and development, 82(2-3), 1995, pp. 149-154
The objective of this study was to explore any age-related morphologic
al changes in the vasa vasorum of the rat femoral artery. Vascular cor
rosion casts were prepared from 2, 12 and 24-month-old rats. Examinati
on of the casts with the scanning electron microscope revealed dramati
c differences in the appearance of the vessels of young and aged rats.
The vasa vasorum of 2-month-old rats consisted of a dense network of
capillaries. These vessels were dramatically reduced in number by 12 m
onths, and even fewer capillaries were present at 24 months. This redu
ction in capillary density is consistent with the observed age-related
decreases in oxygen tension and may explain why the aged are more pro
ne to atherosclerosis.