A new computerized polarization--microscopic method for the demonstration of collagen fibers

A new computerized polarization microscopic method was developed for objective, quick quantitative analysis of anisotropic structures. The paper presents the technology on collagen fibers of kidney and liver preparations. According to the observations the birefringence of one fiber can be characterized not by a single number as it is accepted generally but by a series of data. It suggests that the process of compensation is gradual. One of the explanations of this fact might be that the collagen fibers are inhomogeneous at submicroscopic level. With regard to this assumption, first several birefringent capillary basement membranes of a whole glomerulum were measured simultaneously. In this case, the individual capillaries showed nearly the same retardation. Second, portal zones of normal and cirrhotic livers as functional units were analyzed simultaneously. In the latter case the individual fibers show different birefringence. Comparing the results obtained by their technique with the data of the classic measuring method authors found similarity that proved its validity. Data suggest that the new method seems to be useful in experimental and diagnostic pathology.