Determining the relationship of changes in infrared thermography data and morphometric parameters of the microvasculature of laboratory rats skin

Purpose: determination of quantitative morphological and functional relationships between changes in the morphometric parameters of the microvasculature and indicators of remote infrared thermography of the tail skin of laboratory rats. Material and Methods. Using infrared thermography, the skin surface temperature was measured at the base of the tail of 32 rats and material was taken to prepare histological preparations of the same skin areas. A morphometric study determined the diameter of the microvessels of the superficial and deeper layers of the dermis. Results. Changes in morphological and functional indicators were characterized by correlation bonds of medium strength. A 10% decrease in the lumen of functioning microvessels was accompanied by a 0.3 °C decrease in skin surface temperature. The decrease in temperature indicators to -2 °C was due to a decrease in blood flow during microvascular dilatation to 60% with signs of congestive congestion and stasis. An increase in skin surface temperature by 0.6 °C was accompanied by an increase in peripheral blood flow in the form of an expansion of the microvessel lumen by 5-10%. With an increase in skin surface temperature by 2.4 °C, there was an almost twofold increase in the diameter of microvessels. Conclusion. Infrared thermography data can be used as a criterion for diagnostic and prognostic assessment of the status and severity of changes in cutaneous peripheral blood flow in laboratory rats.