Age-related rupture of internal elastic lamina in atherosclerosis: ultrastrucutral analysis of its occurrence and healing.

首先，我们新开发的扫描电子显微镜技术，使用甲酸消化与血管铸型，详细揭示了三维（3D）结构的微妙的弹性纤维在小血管。该方法可以成功地可视化各种尺寸的小血管甚至小动脉和小静脉中弹性纤维的三维结构。此外，新方法揭示了损坏的内弹性膜的三维结构。

At first, we newly developed scanning electron microscopy technique using a formic acid digestion with vascular casts, which revealed, in detail, the three-dimensional(3D) architecture of delicate elastic fibers in small vessels. This method could successfully visualized the three-dimensional architecture of elastic fibers in small various sized of blood vessels, even arterioles and venules. Furthermore, the new method revealed the 3D architectures of corrupted internal elastic lamina.