Quantitative analysis of rabbit aortic endothelial cells revealed marked morphological changes around ostia and flow dividers, suggesting cell orientation acts as a natural marker of blood flow.
A quantitative study of the en face size and shape of endothelial cells from aortic intercostal ostia has been carried out in rabbits. Photomicrographs were taken from vascular casts of the rabbit aorta and the endothelial cell outlines were analyzed quantitatively using a digitizer and digital computer. The morphology of the endothelial cells was described using 8 calculated parameters (area, perimeter, length, width, angle of orientation, width: length ratio, axis-intersection ratio and shape index). Marked changes in cell morphology were found in the regions proximal and distal to ostia as well as around flow dividers. Cells on the aorta are aligned with the flow direction, and the endothelial cells within the ostia have an angle of orientation of approximately 45 deg to the axis of the vessel. The results obtained to date suggest that endothelial cell morphology and orientation around a branch vessel may be a natural marker or indicator of the detailed features of blood flow.
Nerem et al. (Sat,) conducted a other in Vascular endothelial morphology and blood flow patterns. Quantitative analysis of endothelial cell outlines from vascular casts was evaluated on Endothelial cell morphology (area, perimeter, length, width, angle of orientation, width:length ratio, axis-intersection ratio, shape index). Quantitative analysis of rabbit aortic endothelial cells revealed marked morphological changes around ostia and flow dividers, suggesting cell orientation acts as a natural marker of blood flow.