Luis Villanueva
Research Mentor: Domingo Uceda
Mentor Department: Department of Surgery, Medicine
Author(s): Not Available
Session: Session 7 (4:00 PM – 4:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 121
Abstract
Structural variation in the coronary microvasculature plays a critical role in regulating myocardial blood supply and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. However, it remains difficult to quantitatively assess how vessel size and composition vary across the heart wall and between healthy and diseased tissue. This project aims to characterize how microvascular structure differs by vessel size, myocardial layer, and disease state using digital histopathology. Histological sections of left ventricular myocardium from two samples (Pig A and Pig B) were analyzed using whole-slide imaging and digital pathology software, including QuPath and ImageJ/Fiji. Three stains were used to capture different structural components: hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for general morphology, Verhoeff–Van Gieson (VVG) for elastin, and Masson’s Trichrome for collagen and smooth muscle. Individual vessels were segmented into lumen, media, and adventitia, and vessels of varying diameters (small, medium, and large) were selected for analysis. Quantitative measurements included vessel density, lumen area, and the relative composition of elastin, collagen, and smooth muscle across epicardial and endocardial layers. Ongoing analysis focuses on identifying patterns in vessel composition and distribution across layers and between samples, with particular attention to how vessel size relates to structural differences in the vessel wall. These comparisons aim to determine whether distinct microvascular features are associated with potential disease-related changes. By establishing a reproducible framework for quantifying microvascular structure across multiple stains and spatial regions, this work contributes to a more detailed understanding of how vascular architecture relates to cardiac function and disease. This approach may support future efforts to identify structural markers of cardiovascular pathology and improve histopathological assessment of microvascular health.
