Microvascular smooth muscle cell quantitation from scanning electron microscopic preparations.

A morphometric method to analyze scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of microvascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) is validated using intestinal arterioles. Features easily obtained from these microvasculature preparations are counted (number of tapers and number of complete wraps in the central 87% of the vessel, which is one-third of the vessel's circumference) or measured (vessel diameter and vessel segment length). These data allow the determination of wraps around the values as determined by circumferential examination and quantitation of the vascular segment or an alternative SEM quantitation method (Miller et al., 1986). The method described herein provides a relatively easy way to determine microvascular SMC parameters.