Fig. 3

Long-term vascular structural changes in liver and extrahepatic vasculature. In (A), representative scanning electron microscopic images of livers of control and cirrhotic rats. Casts from control animals show a quiescent sinusoidal vasculature organized in nodular pattern (panels a, c, and e). In contrast, the sinusoids of cirrhotic rats appeared irregular, disrupted, bulging, and saccular (panels b, d, and f). Original magnifications ×50 (panels a and b), ×150 (panels c and d), and ×500 (panels e and f). In (B), photomicrographs of representative cross sections of mesenteric artery from a control rat and a cirrhotic rat with ascites. Note the marked reduction in wall thickness and the diminution in the number of nuclei in the cirrhotic vessel (H&E staining; original magnifications ×200)