MHS 279-280 Femoral Artery

Femoral Artery
(Masson's trichrome)

Remodeling of the blood vessel wall in response to vascular injury involves the coordinated regulation of apoptosis, cell recruitment, proliferation, migration, and differentiation.

The response of the femoral artery to mechanical injury with a wire was examined.

This tissue section is from mice without injury to the femoral artery. It was stained with Masson's trichrome which produces red muscle fibers, blue collagen, light red or pink cytoplasm, and dark brown to black nuclei.

The tunica intima is a thin layer composed of the endothelium (i.e., simple squamous epithelium) and occasional smooth muscle cells inside of the internal elastic membrane.

Courtesy of Neeta Adhikari, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Femoral Artery
(Verhoeff Stain)

This tissue section is from the same mice without injury to the femoral artery. It was stained with Verhoeff's stain which produces black elastic fibers.

The tunic intima inside of the internal elastic is thinner than the tunica media between the internal and external elastic membranes.

Femoral Artery
(Masson's Trichrome)

This tissue section is from mice 14 days after injury of the femoral artery. It was stained with Masson's trichrome which produces red muscle fibers, blue collagen, light red or pink cytoplasm, and dark brown to black nuclei.

There is thickening of the tunica intima because of proliferation of smooth muscle cells to form an atherosclerotic plaque. This plaque begins to block parts of the vessel lumen.

Femoral Artery
(Verhoeff stain)

This tissue section is from the same mice - 14 days after injury of the femoral artery. This section was stained with Verhoeff's stain which produces black elastic fibers.

The thicken of the tunica intima is more easily seen when the internal and external lamina are stained black.

Femoral Artery
(Masson's trichrome)

This tissue section is from mice 28 days after injury of the femoral artery. It was stained with Masson's trichrome which produces red muscle fibers, blue collagen, light red or pink cytoplasm, and dark brown to black nuclei.

The further thickening of the tunic intima decreases the vessel lumen. The tunica intimas is now thicker than the tunica media.

The walls of the artery are so thick and stiff that it can result in hypertension.