Vasa Vasorum of the Pulmonary Artery of the Rabbit

Abstract

In the rabbit, the arterial and venous vasa vasorum of the pulmonary artery from its origin to the entrance of the right and left pulmonary arteries into the lung were studied and described through the use of a specially prepared silicone rubber injection mass. The physical-chemical characteristics of this material allowed detailed filling of the vascular bed under physiological conditions. Special features of the rich arterial and venous vasa vasorum of the pulmonary artery include: (1) spiral palisading of small vessels and (2)arterial and venous vasal confluences that result from the junction of branches from multiple supply and drainage sites. Both of these may be special adaptations for the normal rapid stretch of the pulmonary artery.

Experimental angiogenesis of arterial vasa vasorum

“…The vasa vasorum are a microvasculature that arises from the blood supply to contiguous tissues, from microvessels that arise from the lumen of the artery that they perfuse or from the ostia of major branches of the vascularized artery (Sobin et al 1962;Bo et al 1989;Robertson 1929). This vascular supply is critical to normal O 2 delivery to arterial tissues, since tissue PO 2 , measured with microelectrodes, falls from relatively high values in the adventitia and intima to much lower values in the mid-media, typically 30-50 mmHg (Goldstick and Dobrin 1984).…”

Reflex respiratory and peripheral vascular responses to stimulation of the isolated perfused aortic arch chemoreceptors of the dog

“…Furthermore, our results suggest that the observed reflex responses were not due to aortic arch perfusate exciting possible chemoreceptors supplied by the pulmonary artery. While it is possible that aortic arch perfusate may reach the pulmonary circulation either by way of the extensive anastomosis between small branches of the aortic arch and 315 M. DE BURGH DALY AND OTHERS bronchial arteries and thence by broncho-pulmonary anastomoses (see Miller, 1947) or by vasa vasorum of the pulmonary artery (Miller, 1906(Miller, , 1947Notkovich, 1957;Sobin, Frasher & Tremer, 1962), the reflexes were found to be independent of the level of the pulmonary arterial pressure and blood flow. It is concluded, therefore, that the receptors concerned lie in the vascular bed of the aortic arch.…”

The implication of vasa vasorum in surgical diseases of the aorta

“…Low luminal oxygen tension is the reason why large veins, despite having thin walls, are supplied by a dense network of vasa, and vasa vasorum of the canine aorta dilate in response to acute systemic hypoxia [35]. Similar to veins, the pulmonary artery, which also has low luminal oxygen tension, has a more extensive supply of vasa vasorum in the adventitia and outer media than systemic arteries [36]. Therefore, both oxygen tension and wall thickness seem to be important determinants of the presence of vasa; and diseases that cause increases in wall thickness or hypoxia may result in important implications for the host vessel [7].…”