Die Feinstruktur des Subfornikalorgans beim Kaninchen: I. Die Blutgef�sse

Quantitative fine structure of capillaries in subregions of the rat subfornical organ

The differentiated cytology across subregions of the rat subfornical organ (SFO) prompted our hypothesis that ultrastructural features of capillary endothelial cells would vary topographically and quantitatively within this small nucleus. We used electron microscopic and computer-based morphometric methods to assess fine structural dimensions of the capillary endothelium in four distinct subregions of the SFO from Long-Evans and homozygous Brattleboro rats. Three types of capillary were present. Type III capillaries (resembling those of endocrine glands) had an average wall thickness of 0.17 microns, 54% thinner than those of Type I and II capillaries. Pericapillary spaces around Type III capillaries measured 56 microns2, 100% larger than for Type I vessels (resembling those of skeletal muscle). Only Type III capillaries contained fenestrations (9 per microns2 of endothelial cell) and were the predominant type of capillary in central and caudal subregions of the SFO. Type I capillaries, prevalent in the transitional subregion between the central and rostral parts of the SFO, had 10 cytoplasmic vesicles per micron2 of endothelial cell area, a number not different from that of Type III capillaries but 3x the frequency found in Type II vessels. Type II capillaries (those typical of "blood-brain barrier" endothelium) had low vesicular density (3 per microns2), no fenestrations, and no pericapillary spaces. Luminal diameters and the densities of mitochondria and intercellular junctions were not different among capillary types or subregions in the SFO. Furthermore, there were no morphometric differences for any capillary dimensions between Long-Evans and Brattleboro rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topography and morphometry of capillaries in the rat subfornical organ

A comprehensive stereological analysis was performed to define capillary dimensions in individual subregions of the subfornical organ in Long-Evans, homozygous Brattleboro, and Sprague-Dawley rats. Capillary density, volume fraction, length, surface area, and diameter were assessed in four regions in the sagittal plane (rostral, "transitional," central, and caudal) and two zones in the coronal plane (dorsal and ventromedial). The ventromedial zones in the central and caudal regions correspond to areas of dense perikarya and neuropil containing neural afferent inputs to the subfornical organ (e.g., putative fiber terminals for angiotensin II), whereas the dorsal zones of these regions are apparently the predominant sites of perikarya having efferent projections directed outside of the organ. The morphometric analysis revealed heterogeneous capillary density across subregions of the subfornical organ (range of 132 to 931 capillaries/mm2 in the three rat groups). Capillaries in the ventromedial zones of the central and caudal regions had significantly greater density, volume fraction, and surface area, but smaller diameters, than those in the adjacent dorsal zones and more rostral regions. Across all subregions within the dorsal zone, there was generally a consistent morphometric pattern in the three rat groups. No differences in capillary dimensions in any part of the subfornical organ were found between the Long-Evans and Brattleboro rats. A qualitative electron microscopic investigation of endothelial cells in each subregion of the subfornical organ in Long-Evans rats revealed at least three types of capillary oriented according to region: in the rostral region were capillaries having no endothelial fenestrations or pericapillary spaces, and few vesicles, in the "transitional" region between the rostral and central regions, capillaries having no endothelial fenestrations, substantial numbers of vesicles, and narrow but perceptible pericapillary spaces were found, and in the central and caudal regions, capillaries having abundant endothelial fenestrations and vesicles, expansive pericapillary labyrinths, and relatively thin walls were present. These findings from light microscopic morphometry and electron microscopy in rats indicate a heterogeneity of capillary organization that shows topographical correspondence to the cytology and putative functions of the subfornical organ.

The microcirculation of rat circumventricular organs and pituitary gland

Blood volume, blood flow, and blood-to-tissue transfer of an amino acid in circumventricular organs, such as the median eminence and subfornical organ, and the pituitary gland of conscious rats were measured by using quantitative autoradiographic techniques and computer-assisted processing of the tissue images. Retained erythrocyte and plasma volumes observed in circumventricular organs and the anterior and neural lobes of the pituitary gland were dissimilar but in all cases greater by several times than those in cerebral grey matter; these findings suggest the presence of a dense network of high-resistance microvessels in circumventricular organs. The rate of capillary blood flow in the subfornical organ and median eminence was similar to that of grey matter, whereas blood flow in the pituitary neural lobe was several times higher than in grey matter. Thus the apparent velocity of intracapillary blood flow is much higher in the neural lobe than in the subfornical organ. Blood-to-tissue transfer of a small neutral amino acid, alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, was 200 to 700 times more rapid in circumventricular organs and pituitary neural lobe than in the inferior colliculus and caudate nucleus, structures having a blood-brain barrier (BBB). Morphometric analyses indicated that capillary volume and surface area were two times larger in the neural lobe than in the subfornical organ. Moreover, capillaries of the neural lobe and subfornical organ had numerous endothelial fenestrations and cytoplasmic pits or vesicles, whereas capillaries of the inferior colliculus had no fenestrations and fewer vesicles. These studies demonstrate quantitative differences in the microcirculatory systems not only between circumventricular organs and BBB structures but also among circumventricular organs.