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Analysis of Coronary Vessels in Cleared Embryonic Hearts
Published on: December 7, 2016
A scanning electron microscopic study of postnatal development of rat peribiliary plexus
J Haratake1, M Hisaoka, A Furuta
1Department of Pathology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)
|December 1, 1991
Summary
The development of hepatic microcirculation and peribiliary vascular plexuses in neonatal rats was clarified. These vascular systems gradually mature postnatally, paralleling intrahepatic biliary tree development.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Developmental Biology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Hepatic microcirculation development, particularly peribiliary vascular plexuses, is not fully understood.
- Neonatal liver vascularization requires detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the developmental process of hepatic microcirculation and peribiliary vascular plexuses in neonatal rats.
- To investigate the relationship between vascular development and biliary tree maturation.
Main Methods:
- Corrosion casting technique.
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- Analysis of liver tissue from neonatal rats at various postnatal ages (1 day, 7 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks).
Main Results:
- Early postnatal stages (1 day) show simple capillary networks around large bile ducts and limited hepatic arterial branching.
- By 7 days, loose peribiliary vascular plexuses and hepatic artery branches extend to peripheral portal tracts.
- By 2 weeks, peribiliary vascular plexuses develop a double-layered structure, and by 4 weeks, hepatic microcirculation resembles adult patterns.
Conclusions:
- Hepatic microcirculation and peribiliary vascular plexuses undergo gradual postnatal development.
- This vascular development occurs in parallel with the maturation of the intrahepatic biliary trees.

