>lEI)ICO-BIOLOGIC RESEARCH 



relations between hepatic artery l^ranches cadaver stomach. They found in nncro- 



and Hver cells, and also between sinusoids radiographs a considerable scarcity of capil- 



and branches of the portal vein. They sur- laries in the area of the stomach Avail close 



mise that branches of the hepatic artery are to the ulcer and they explained this local 



capable of regulating the amount of blood ischaemia as due to the spastic contraction 



brought to the sinusoids. Ayres de Sousa, of the capillaries in the ulcer area. They 



Cruz and Morais (106) investigated also mi- think that the blood circulation in this case 



crovasographical patterns of lungs. A. and proceeds through atriovenous shunt in the 



J. F. dc Sousa (107) studied biliary capil- submucous plexus and that the spasm of the 



laries after post mortem thorotrast injection mucosal capillai'ies in the ulcer area is caused 



into the common bile duct and gave patterns by the blocking influence of sympathetic 



to these structures. nerves which develops after the abdomen is 



In Canada, Saunders (102) investigated opened. In cases where this influence was ex- 

 microvasographical patterns of muscles. His eluded no difference was found in the filling 

 important data offer some facts on the blood of capillaries with opaque mediimi in any 

 capacity of these organs. Saunders has in- part of the stomach wall. These authors 

 vestigated also vasographical patterns of consider the important advantage of micro- 

 tooth pulp in different ages (103). It is nee- vasography to be the possibiUty of examining 

 essary to mention here that Saunders is comparatively thick sections of gastric wall 

 alone on this continent in studying the ap- with its numerous capillaries, 

 plication of the x-ray projection microscopy Another explanation of the phenomenon 

 to medico-biological research (Cf. articles by mentioned above was given by Doran (46), 

 Saunders). w^ho considered not the spasm but the 



The first publication on microvasography scarcity of blood vessels on the lesser curva- 



in pathological conditions appeared in 1943 ture to be primarily responsible for ulcer 



(Bohatirchuk) (24). Several experiments development (it is known that ulcers develop 



were carried out in this work with direct usually on the lesser curvature) . The inverse 



vital total macro and microvasography. picture was observed by him in the duode- 



After the injection of thorotrast, such num. However, he did not fill the vessels 



strongly acting agents as heat or cold were through a special device in which the pres- 



applied to some part of the body on one side, sure of the opacjue medium was controlled 



or introduced into the blood stream, e.g., by a manometer as Barclay and Bentley did, 



adrenalin, etc. The reaction of the big vessels but exercized this control by hand. Bentley 



to the agent was first studied in serial macro- and Barlow (1951) (18) indicated that this 



radiographs. After that the animal was sac- "poor" technique is a cause of, as they said, 



rificed and the capillaries of lungs, liver and Doran's "erroneous" conclusions, 



other organs w^ere studied. The action of the The scarcity of mucosal vessels filled with 



agents mentioned above on vessel tone was OM was demonstrated also by Benjamin 



clearly demonstrated in microvasographs. It (1951) (15) (16) and by Benjamin, Wagner 



was shown that heat is a vasodilator and and Zeit (1953) (17), who injected at first 50 



cold a vasoconstrictor and also at the con- ml of 20 % neo-silvol followed by 50-100 ml 



siderable distance from the point of applica- of 10% bismuth oxychloride. Xeo-silvol 



tion. passed into the venous system while particles 



Barclay and Bentley (1949 and 1951) (8) of bismuth being too large to pass through 



(9) injected silver iodide into arteries of the arterial capillaries, remained on the ar- 



stomach resected because of peptic ulcer terial side. These authors presented very 



and, for comparison, into those of normal persuasive microradiographs in support of 



613 



