Scanning electron microscopy of renal vascular casts

The use of Cementex to form casts of the renal vascular system is described. These casts are useful in delineating the vascular microarchitecture of the kidney including that of the glomerular capillaries, but do not appear to reproducibly reflect physiological vascular tone. The postglomerular vascular system is often incompletely filled using this technique. The amount of filling can be altered by the techniques used in cast preparation. The effect of perfusion pressure, concentration of Cementex, fixation, and type of colour additive are compared with respect to the cast structure.