Contribution of Elastin to the Mechanical Properties of Arterial Tissues

Recent studies indicate that vascular stiffening and associated remodeling of the proximal pulmonary arteries, due to pulmonary hypertension, may play a critical role in the progression of the disease and ultimate cardiac failure [1]. While progress has been made in the understanding of active and passive arterial mechanics of whole arteries, comparatively little experimental work has been done on the role of the major extracellular structural proteins, collagen and elastin, in determining baseline arterial mechanics and modulating behavior during vascular remodeling [2, 3]. Here, we examine the methods to determine the specific role of elastin in arterial mechanics as it relates to pulmonary hypertension.