Angioarchitecture of the anterior and medium parts of the palatine mucosa of the gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

The aim of this study was to examine the microvasculature of the anterior and medium portions of the hard palatine mucosa in the adult gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) using scanning electron microscopy. The vascular corrosion casts were obtained by injection of Mercox® CL-2B synthetic resin and tissue corrosion was performed using sodium hydroxide solution. These casts revealed the presence of capillary loops in the palatine plicae and a smoother/flatter vascular network in the interplicae areas. The capillary loops consisted mainly of anteriorly oriented hair-pins and we also verified a differentiation in the shape of endothelial cell nuclei, which were elongated in arterial and circular in venous vessels.