Key result
Elastin-insufficient mice exhibited decreased aortic diameter and compliance by postnatal day 7, preceding significant increases in systolic blood pressure that emerged at postnatal day 14.
Why the study?
Does elastin haploinsufficiency alter arterial mechanical properties before increasing blood pressure in mice?
Does elastin haploinsufficiency alter arterial mechanical properties before increasing blood pressure in mice?
In elastin-insufficient mice, changes in arterial mechanical properties such as decreased compliance precede the development of hypertension, suggesting arterial stiffness may be a primary driver of essential hypertension.
Arterial stiffness may precede hypertension; hypothesis-generating in mice and leaves open human causality.
Increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure are characteristic of humans and adult mice with reduced elastin levels caused by aging or genetic disease. Direct associations have been shown between increased arterial stiffness and hypertension in humans, but it is not known whether changes in mechanical properties or increased blood pressure occur first. Using genetically modified mice with elastin haploinsufficiency (Eln(+/-)), we investigated the temporal relationship between arterial mechanical properties and blood pressure throughout postnatal development. Our results show that some mechanical properties are maintained constant regardless of elastin amounts. The peak diameter compliance for both genotypes occurs near the physiologic pressure at each age, which acts to provide maximum pulse dampening. The stress-strain relationships are similar between genotypes and become nonlinear near the systolic pressure for each age, which serves to limit distension under high pressure. Our results also show that some mechanical properties are affected by reduced elastin levels and that these changes occur before measurable changes in blood pressure. Eln(+/-) mice have decreased aortic diameter and compliance in ex vivo tests that are significant by postnatal day 7 and increased blood pressure that is not significant until postnatal day 14. This temporal relationship suggests that targeting large arteries to increase diameter or compliance may be an effective treatment for human hypertension.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Le et al. (2011) studied Elastin haploinsufficiency. Elastin haploinsufficiency (Eln+/-) vs. Wild-type (WT) mice was evaluated on Temporal onset of decreased aortic compliance versus increased blood pressure. Elastin-insufficient mice exhibited decreased aortic diameter and compliance by postnatal day 7, preceding significant increases in systolic blood pressure that emerged at postnatal day 14.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: