Abstract
Microcirculation of the large intestine of the chinchilla was examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy of cast samples, in comparison with that of the guinea pig and rat. In the chinchilla, there were detected precapillary arterioles, fenestrated capillaries and venules in the mucosa of the large intestine. The densities of the fenestrae varied among different intestinal segments. In the caecum and the large colon, the density of capillary fenestrae in the subepithelial area of the luminal epithelium was higher than that in the small colon. Three types of microvasculature were identified based on the capillary distributional pattern in the subepithelial area of the luminal epithelium and in the area surrounding the crypts. In the guinea pig and rat, the caecum and the ascending colon had a similar microvasculature in that each capillary mesh connected with several vessels. The capillary density in the large intestine was the highest in the chinchilla among the three species examined.
