Light and scanning electron microscopic studies of the angioarchitecture of intrinsic muscle fibers of the anterior rat tongue.

Histological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characteristics of the microvasculature of muscle fibers in the anterior third of the adult rat tongue are described. For light microscopy, the specimens were embedded in paraffin and frontal sections were stained with Picro-Sirius. Thick sections were obtained from Spurr embedded samples and stained with toluidine blue solution. For SEM, specimens were obtained by the corrosion cast method and fractured specimens in dimethyl sulfoxide were observed with high-resolution SEM (HRSEM). The blood vessels, enveloped with a thin layer of connective tissue, had fibers running parallel to the muscular fibers. Capillary arterioles were noted following the endomysium, but their lateral branches often ran at right angles to the fibers. The capillary beds were clearly revealed in transverse sections where the individual capillaries appeared ring-like or elliptical in shape. The nuclei of endothelial cell cores could be seen on the vessel surfaces. Collagen fibers type I and III were noted in the connective tissue and in the fibrous layer of vessels.