Vascular Extracellular Matrix and Arterial Mechanics

Vascular extracellular matrix and arterial mechanics.

An important factor in the transition from an open to a closed circulatory system was a change in vessel wall structure and composition that enabled the large arteries to store and release energy during the cardiac cycle. The component of the arterial wall in vertebrates that accounts for these properties is the elastic fiber network organized by medial smooth muscle. Beginning with the onset o...

Airway and Extracellular Matrix Mechanics in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases worldwide, and is characterized by airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible with treatment. Even though airflow obstruction is caused by airway smooth muscle contraction, the extent of airway narrowing depends on a range of other structural and functional determinants that impact on active and passive t...

Vascular extracellular matrix and aortic development.

Extracellular Matrix Molecules Facilitating Vascular Biointegration

All vascular implants, including stents, heart valves and graft materials exhibit suboptimal biocompatibility that significantly reduces their clinical efficacy. A range of biomolecules in the subendothelial space have been shown to play critical roles in local regulation of thrombosis, endothelial growth and smooth muscle cell proliferation, making these attractive candidates for modulation of...

Maturational changes in extracellular matrix and lung tissue mechanics.

The viscoelastic properties of the pulmonary parenchyma change rapidly postparturition. We compared changes in mechanical properties with changes in tissue composition of rat lung parenchymal strips in three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats: baby (B; 10-14 days), young (Y; approximately 3 wk), and adult (A; approximately 8 wk). Strips were suspended in an organ bath, and resistance (R), elastance ...