Corrosion Cast Demonstration of Tongue Vasculature of Normal Wistar Rats

Abstract

<jats:p>The purpose of this study has been to undertake a three-dimensional analysis of the vascular network of the lamina propria in the lingual mucosa of the rat. Using the corrosive-resin casting method, casts of the vascular network were prepared and examined by scanning electron microscopy. We used 21th day normal wistar rats. They were anesthetized and perfused with saline solution and after with mercox (25ml of resin, 5ml of methyl methacrylate monomer). Then, the tongues were resected and placed in warm water bath at 60° C for 4 h. The tongue epithelium were digested with 20% NaOH for 4 days. The vascular resin casts washed in distilled water, several times. The dried vascular casts were mounted on the stubs with conductive paste, coated with gold and examined with a JEOL JSM- 6100 scanning electron microscope. In the SEM images, the lingual mucosa revealed arteriolae which divide into smaller branches entering into connective tissue papillae.</jats:p>