Pulmonary Microvascular Corrosion Casting

The right ventricular outflow tract was cannulated via right ventriculotomy with a 2 mm olive-tipped cannula (Acufirm 1428LL, Dreieich, Germany). The pulmonary vessels were perfused with 15–20 ml of 37°C saline followed by a buffered 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution (Sigma, St Louis, MO, USA) at pH 7.40. After casting of the pulmonary microcirculation with PU4ii (VasQtec, Zurich, Switzerland), diluted with 20% methylmethacrylate monomers (Sigma), and caustic digestion, the microvascular corrosion casts were imaged after coating with gold in an argon atmosphere with a Philips ESEM XL30 scanning electron microscope as previously described (13 (link)).