Rabbit aortic medial thickness under relaxed and specified simulated in vivo conditions

A method is presented for measuring the thickness of the intima-media layer of the normal rabbit descending thoracic aortic wall under both relaxed (excised) and specified simulated in vivo conditions. The in vivo conditions were simulated by maintaining the aorta in situ at its normal longitudinal extension while perfusing its lumen at the normal mean arterial pressure with a mixture of liquid silicone polymer and a catalyst, thus providing physiological radial distension. After the rubber cured, both relaxed and extended-distended tissue segments were obtained from adjacent sites on the same aorta. These tissue segments were fixed and further processed for measurement of their medial thicknesses by light microscopy. This data was used to estimate the ratio of the medial thickness of the relaxed, excised aorta to that under in vivo conditions, 1.72 +/- 0.15. This information is required for quantitative analysis of data obtained from previous studies of in vivo macromolecular transport across the rabbit thoracic aortic wall.