Figure 5.

Transmural endothelialisation of vascular grafts in the rat (A) and the senescent baboon (B,C). The loop graft in the rat (A) shows clearly discernible edges of the trans-anastomotically outgrowing endothelium (post-colored in red) from the infra-renal aorta with a long stretch of endothelium-free surface separating it from the trans-mural mid-graft endothelium (also post-colored in red). The presence of a long separating zone between the experimental graft and the transanastomotic outgrowth-edge is even more important in view of transanastomotic outgrowth also occurring in the opposite direction (Insert A) from the experimental graft in case of successful trans-mural endothelialisation. (B,C) Similar isolation graft in femoro-femoral position in the senescent Chacma baboon. After 6 weeks, transmural sprouting had either successfully led to confluent surface endothelialisation (C) with multiple capillary openings (Insert C) or in its absence led to the build-up of a dense fibrin matrix in the interstices near and on the surface (B). Sometimes sporadic small endothelial islets are detectable (Insert B).