HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

A comprehensive morphometric analysis of the internal thoracic artery with emphasis on age, gender and left-to-right specific differences

Milica Labudović Borović1, Saša Borović2, Jelena Marinković-Erić3, Vera Todorović4, Nela Puškaš1, Mladen Kočica5, Dorde Radak2 and Vesna Lačković1

1Institute of Histology and Embryology “Aleksandar D. Kostić”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 2Dedinje Cardiovascular Institute, Belgrade, Serbia, 3Institute of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 4Faculty of Stomatology in Pančevo, University Business Academy, Novi Sad, Serbia and 5Cardiovascular Institute, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.

Offprint requests to: Dr Milica Labudović Borović, Institute of Histology and Embryology “Aleksandar D. Kostić”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, 26 Višegradska Street, Serbia. e-mail: sborovic2001@yahoo.com


Summary. Aims of the study. The aim of this analysis was the morphometric description of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) with an emphasis on age, gender and left-to-right specific differences, as well as on age and atherosclerosis related changes of the elastic skeleton. Methods. Forty eight arteries were obtained during forensic autopsies from 32 persons who had died of non-vascular causes. The following morphometric parameters were analyzed: thickness of the intima, the medial layer and the wall, the intima-to-media ratio and the elastic skeleton parameters.
Results. The intima thickness increases significantly with aging (ANOVA F=34.061, p<0.001), as does the intima-to-media ratio (ANOVA F=10.831, p<0.001). With aging, there is a significant increase in the thickness of the media (F=56.519; p<0.001) and of the wall (F=34.094; p<0,001). There is a significant increase in the media thickness during the development of atherosclerosis in the ITA (ANOVA F=11.848, p<0.001). No significant difference was found when these data were analyzed based on the left-to-right principle or depending on gender of the patients. However, the analysis of the elastic skeleton parameters indicated that the combined effects of aging, atherosclerosis and male gender lead to the degeneration of the elastic skeleton of the ITA.
Conclusion. The grade of atherosclerosis gradually increases with aging as shown by morphometric analysis. The increase in the medial layer thickness suggests the potential for positive remodeling of the ITA during aging and atherosclerosis. The left/right position has no influence on morphometric parameters of the ITA, while male gender affects parameters of the elastic skeleton
. Histol Histopathol 28, 1299-1314 (2013)

Key words: Internal thoracic artery, Morphometry, Histology, Aging, CABG

DOI: 10.14670/HH-28.1299