Poster #015
Rat Aortic Cell Imaging for Morphological Control
Mentors: Zach Molander, Ashley Taepakdee, MS and Chung-Hao Lee, PhD
The descending thoracic aorta is located between the aortic arch and diaphragm, it provides blood to the esophagus and lymph nodes among other thoracic organs. However, aorta efficiency decreases from diseases like atherosclerosis and hypertension. In atherosclerosis, endothelial cells have altered morphology and integrity. In hypertension, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) switch from contractile phenotype to synthetic ones, losing their elasticity. This study used a rat model to establish a thoracic aorta cell control that can be compared to diseased aortas. The descending thoracic aorta from a rat was removed, sectioned, and stained using Hematoxylin and Eosin in order to visualize the aortic cells under a microscope. The images produced through this procedure have wider implications for understanding the differences in functionality between healthy and impaired aortic cell morphology and its translation into human functionality.