Microfibrils in the aorta.

Ruthenium red was used to stain microfibrils in rat aorta after incubation of the tissues with or without one of the enzymes trypsin, collagenase, phospholipase C, chondroitinase ABC, hyaluronidase or neuraminidase, or the reducing agent dithiothreitol. Microfibrils exhibiting periodicity of ruthenium red binding were associated with elastic laminae and collagen fibrils and appeared to attach these structures to each other as well as to basal lamina. Microfibrils in rat and human aorta demonstrated fibronectinlike immunoreactivity, therefore fibronectin may be a component of aorta microfibrils and important in the architecture of blood vessels.