From the Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical
Center and University Heart Center, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering,
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
Correspondence to Dr Mohamed Gaballa, Cardiology Section, 111 C, Tucson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Tucson, AZ 85723.
Abstract—To examine
arterial mechanical changes during aging, pressure-radius
and axial force–radius curves were measured in vivo in carotid
arteries from 6- and 23-month-old Brown Norway X Fischer 344 rats.
Incremental passive circumferential stiffness (measured at 50, 100, and
200 mm Hg) was higher (P<0.01) in the 23-
compared with the 6-month-old rats (14.02±1.23 versus 6.58±1.51;
2.68±0.56 versus 0.99±0.34; 1.10±0.24 versus 0.69±0.15
dyne/mm2x103, respectively). Incremental
passive axial stiffness was increased (P<0.01) in the
23- compared with the 6-month-old rats (7.95±0.70 versus 4.24±0.81;
1.91±0.10 versus 0.61±0.16; 0.58±0.09 versus 0.36±0.06
dyne/mm2x103, respectively). Active
incremental circumferential arterial stiffness at 100 and
200 mm Hg was increased (P<0.01) in the older
rats. In 6-month-old rats, activation of vascular smooth muscle
enhanced (P<0.01) the incremental circumferential and
axial stiffness measured at 200 mm Hg. In 23-month-old rats, only
active incremental stiffness was increased (P<0.01) at
200 mm Hg. Aging increased (P<0.05) media
thickness, collagen content, and the collagen/elastin ratio by 12%,
21%, and 38%, respectively. Elastin density and the number of smooth
muscle cell nuclei were decreased by 20% and 31%, respectively, with
aging. Thus, structural alterations that occur with aging are
associated with changes in both active and passive stiffness. Vascular
smooth muscle tone modulates arterial wall anisotropy
differently during aging.
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions
Large Artery Remodeling During Aging
Biaxial Passive and Active Stiffness
Key Words: aging • arteries • muscle, smooth, vascular • norepinephrine
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