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Structure and immunohistochemistry of the human lenticulostriate arteries
S Marinković1, V Todorović, N Drndarević
1Department of Neuroanatomy and Gross Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. mocamarinkovic@med.bg.ac.rs.
Insights
This study details the structure and immunohistochemistry of lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs), revealing novel details about their cellular composition and protein expression. These findings offer critical insights into cerebrovascular pathology and related neurological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Neuroanatomy
- Histology
Background:
- Lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) structure and immunohistochemistry are crucial for medical research but are underreported.
- Limited data exists on the detailed composition of LSAs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively describe the histological structure of LSAs.
- To investigate the immunohistochemical profile of LSA walls.
- To provide foundational data for understanding cerebrovascular diseases.
Main Methods:
- Serial sectioning of 40 LSAs.
- Hematoxylin and eosin staining.
- Immunohistochemistry for various cellular and protein markers.
Main Results:
- LSAs exhibit typical endothelial lining and smooth muscle cells in the media (14.2 layers).
- Internal elastic lamina is fragmented in smaller branches.
- Novel immunopositivity detected for CD31, CD34, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, S 100 protein, neurofilament protein, and synaptophysin.
- First-time reporting of LSA wall thickness and smooth muscle cell layer count.
Conclusions:
- Detailed structural and immunohistochemical data of LSAs have been established.
- Findings are significant for cerebrovascular pathology, neurology, and neurosurgery.
- This study provides essential baseline information for future research and clinical applications.
Background:
Data about the structure and immunohistochemistry of the lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs), although very important for medical research and clinical practice, have been rarely reported in literature.
Materials And Methods:
Fourty serially sectioned LSAs were stained with hematoxilin and eosin, and prepared for immunohistochemistry.
Results:
Our examination revealed a typical endothelial lining and a narrow subendothelial space with subintimal smooth muscle cells occasionally. The internal elastic lamina was fragmented or absent in the smallest LSAs branches. The mediacoat, with a mean diameter of 148.5 μm, contained typical smooth muscle cells which formed 14.2 layers on average and showed a positive immune reactions for alfa-actin, desmine, laminin and collagen IV. The thin adventitial coat contained fibroblasts, collagen fibers, and nerve bundles, with the strongest immunopositivity to thyrosin hydroxilase. The immune reactions against CD31 and CD34 proteins,endothelial nitric oxide synthase, S 100 protein, neurofilament protein and synaptophysin,seem to be performed in the LSAs wall for the first time. Similarly,the thickness of the LSAs wall and its coats have never been reported, nor the number of the smooth muscle cell layers.
Conclusions:
Our results related to the structure and immunohistochemistry of the LSAs could be important in cerebrovascular pathology, neurology and neurosurgery.
