Electron microscopic images of scleral side of choriocapillaris

Lateral (scleral) side of choriocapillaris. This is a high magnification view of the image in previous post. The blood vessels are associated with pericytes indicated with arrows in the upper view. In this vessel, endothelial cells are fenestrated as well as those of retinal side (middle and lower views). Endothelial junction is seen in the upper side of the lower view.

3D-view of retina, bruch membrane and choriocapillaris

These are images of retina, Bruch's membrane and choroid including choriocapillaris. Choriocapillaris is broken but visible from lateral or scleral side. Choriocapillaris is fenestrated at the medial (retinal) side without pericyte coverage, but covered with pericytes at the lateral side. Next, I will show the details of choriocapillaris at lateral (scleral side).

endothelial cell junction of choriocapillaris

We can see the endothelial junctions of the choriocapillaris. Knob or flap like overlapping is visible at the junction away from the fenestration.

High magnification view of endothelial cells in the Choriocapillaris

These are high magnification views of choriocapillaris. In the upper images, red blood cells remained in the vessels. In the lower images, we can see the borders and fenestration of endothelial cells. Area of fenestration is 0.5 or 1 µm away from the border. The knobs or leave shaped borders of the endothelial cells overlap with each other.

Three dimensional view of normal choriocapillaris

Choriocapillaris just below Bruch's membrane of mice eye. Choriocapillaris is a mesh of the blood vessels, which feeds retina. Upper images are the low or moderate magnification SEM views of the choriocapillaris seen from the retinal side. The lower image is a high magnification view of the surface of choriocapillaris. Small holes or fenestrations are at the surfaces of the endothelial cells of choriocapillaris, which are similar to This is a normal choriocapillaris, but I can show the pathological change of the choriocapillaris in detail three dimensionally.

Retinal vessels and choriocapillaris

These are retinal vessels (upper and lower left), and choriocapillaris (left) of mice eyes. Left view is the choriocapillaris viewed from Bruch membrane, which is dissolved and disappeared by KOH treatment. Right views are a retinal venule (up) and arteriol (down). Choriocapillaris does not have smooth muscle cells or pericytes at retinal side in contrast that retinal vessels have them.

Three dimensional view of retina

This is a three dimensional SEM (scanning electron microscopy) view of retina. The eye balls were taken from mice body, cut to remove the anterior portions (lens, iris, cornea and anterior half of sclera) of eyes. The specimens were dissolved with KOH to remove the connective tissue and junctional proteins. Top is the anterior site and the bottom is the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE; that is removed in the middle figure). Choroidal side of the RPE shows the infolding.