Effects of Tissue Architecture on Vascular Mechanics: Role of the Hierarchical Structure and Constituent Evolution of Elastin

组织结构对血管力学的影响：弹性蛋白的层次结构和组成进化的作用本提案结合了几个学科的技术和方法，包括力学、聚合物物理和分子生物学，来研究弹性蛋白在动脉壁中的作用。动脉是复杂的异质结构，在生化和机械刺激下具有深刻的重塑能力。由于动脉粥样硬化和动脉瘤等动脉疾病与血管壁中弹性蛋白含量的变化直接相关，因此表征具有不同弹性蛋白含量的动脉的力学特性是很重要的。该项目旨在将动脉壁的组织微观结构和生化成分与其紧急力学行为分层联系起来。这项工作的主要目的是研究成分对血管结构特性的影响。机械测试将用于评估组织微观结构变化对其整体本构行为的影响。为了将机械行为的变化与组织微观结构的改变联系起来，结构关系将使用生化方法进行表征。本研究结果对血管力学和动脉疾病的临床治疗具有广泛的适用性。

Effects of Tissue Architecture on Vascular Mechanics:ROLE OF THE HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUENT EVOLUTION OF ELASTINThis proposal combines the techniques and approaches of several disciplines, including mechanics, polymer physics, and molecular biology, to study the role of elastin in the arterial wall. Arteries are complex heterogenous structures with profound ability to remodel in response to biochemical and mechanical stimuli. Since arterial diseases like atherosclerosis and aneurysms directly correlate with changes in the amounts of elastin in the vessel wall, it is important to characterize the mechanical properties of arteries with varying amounts of elastin. The project aims to hierarchically link tissue microstructure and biochemical composition of arterial walls to their emergent mechanical behavior. A primary goal of this work is to study the effect of constituents on the structural properties of vessels. The mechanical tests will be used to assess the effects of a changed tissue microstructure on its overall constitutive behavior. In order to link changes in mechanical behavior with alterations in tissue microstructure, structural relationships will be characterized using biochemical methods. The results of this study have broad applicability to vascular mechanics and clinical treatments for arterial diseases.