The Vitamin-E-Deficiency Syndrome in Pigs; III. Light- and Electron-Microscopic Studies on Myocardial Vascular Injury

Abstract

Vascular changes in the myocardium of vitamin-E-deficient pigs were studied by light and electron microscopy. The main changes shown by light microscopy were mural degeneration and multiple microthrombi in small vessels. The thrombotic material gave staining characteristics of platelets and fibrin. With electron microscopy, the main changes were endothelial damage, extravasation of platelets and erythrocytes, and the formation of thrombi composed of platelets and fibrin. The first vascular change occurred in the endothelium; this was succeeded by the formation of thrombi.