[Alcohol-alkaline dissociation of the everted vessel--a simple method for the analysis of the 3-dimensional organization of the arterial intima].

A new method to investigate different parts of arterial intima in scanning electron microscopy has been elaborated. A fixated vessel was everted and incubated in dissociated solution of potassium etoxide. Dissociation was performed until the appearance of the first endothelial cells for the analysis of the subendothelial layer, until the appearance of the first subendothelial cells for the analysis of smooth muscle cells, and until the disappearance of any cells for the analysis of the internal elastic lamina. A three-dimensional organization of human fetal and adult aortas, as well as of bovine, swine, rabbit and rat aortas was investigated.