I’m currently investigating the plasticity of the cerebrovascular system following exercise treatment (~26 weeks voluntary wheel running). I’ve employed traditional methods of histology as well as spectral domain-optical coherence tomography to quantify blood vessel densities in the motor cortex of the adult rat. I have found a significantly greater number of small blood vessels (12-20µm) in exercised rats when compared to sedentary controls. No significant differences in other sized vessels or capillaries.
I’ve examined the relationship between running behavior and blood vessel density. Running totals peaked at week 6, (range: 4-8 weeks), at an average of 6486 revolutions per day. At which point, running totals gradually decreased over the next 20 weeks. Across the entire duration of the exercise treatment, we calculated a negative slope of ~16.75. This slope significantly correlates with small vessel density (Pearson correlation= .770; p= .041).
Furthermore, I have found that there is a negative correlation between Week 1 Running Totals and small vessel density (pearson correlation= -.764; p= .046), and between the Greatest Weekly Average and small vessel density (pearson correlation= -.777; p= .040).
If we expect running behavior to drive cerebrovascular morphology (in this case, exercise-induced angiogenesis), why would greater running totals be negatively correlated with an increase in the number of small vessels?
Several other variables were included in the SPSS analysis (day 1 running totals, week 1 totals, slope: week 1, first month running totals, Slope: month 1, total & daily average across treatment, slope: day 1 to peak, slope: peak to end-of-treatment), and no other significant correlations were found.
To start with: I cannot solve your problem. However: alkaline phosphatase is intense in the cerebral blood vessels of many species (Gomori, 1941 J.Cell Comp Physiol17:71-83). "Indeed, histochemical methods for staining alkaline phosphatase have been proposed as methods for the demonstration of cerebral vascularization (Landow et al., 1942 Arch Neurol (Chic) 48:518-530;Bourne 1944 Quart J Exp Physiol 32:1-20; Scharrer1950 Anat Rec 107:319-327) Although old, still basic!. Secondly Friede 1966, Topographic Brain Chemistry adds several pages to it, see p 183-189. Moreover the total vessel length in several brain parts has been calculated, perhaps this is a help. Good luck, Enrico Marani
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