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(Circulation Research. 2004;94:346.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Molecular Medicine

Development of Proximal Coronary Arteries in Quail Embryonic Heart

Multiple Capillaries Penetrating the Aortic Sinus Fuse to Form Main Coronary Trunk

Katsumi Ando, Yuji Nakajima, Toshiyuki Yamagishi, Sadamu Yamamoto, Hiroaki Nakamura

From the Department of Anatomy (K.A., T.Y., H.N.), Saitama Medical School, Saitama, Japan; Junior College (K.A., S.Y.), Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan; and Department of Anatomy (Y.N.), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.

Correspondence to Katsumi Ando, Department of Medical Technology, Junior College, Saitama Prefectural University, 820 Sannomiya, Koshigayashi, Saitama, 343-8540 Japan. E-mail ando-k{at}spu.ac.jp

Studies have shown that the proximal coronary artery (PCA) develops via endothelial ingrowth from the peritruncal ring (PR) of the coronary vasculature. However, the details of PCA formation remain unclear. We examined the development of PCAs in quail embryonic hearts from 5 to 9 days of incubation (embryonic day [ED]) using double-immunostaining for QH1 (quail endothelial marker) and smooth muscle -actin. At 6 to 7 ED, several QH1-positive endothelial strands from the PR penetrated the facing sinuses, and in some embryos, several endothelial strands penetrated the posterior (noncoronary) sinus. At 7 to 8 ED, the endothelial strands penetrating the facing sinuses seemed to fuse, forming a proximal coronary stem that was demarcated from the aortic wall by the nascent smooth muscle layer of the coronary artery. By 9 ED, two coronary stems were completely formed, and the endothelial strands previously penetrating the noncoronary sinus had disappeared. Confocal microscopy at 6 ED revealed discontinuous QH1-positive endothelial progenitors in the aortic wall at sites where the endothelial strands would later develop. Observations demonstrate that during the formation of the PCA, endothelial strands from the PR penetrate the facing sinuses and then fuse, whereas those strands penetrating the noncoronary sinus disappear. Thereafter, the coronary artery tunica media demarcates the definitive PCA from the aortic media.

Key Words: coronary artery • development • quail embryo • QH1

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