Abstract
To elucidate the contribution of smooth muscle to the mechanical properties of artery and to study its interaction with other tissue components, an enzymolysis technique has been used. Fresh canine artery was cut into circumferential strips, and a stressrelaxation test was performed in a Krebs-Ringer solution while continuously bubbling an O2−CO2 gas mixture. An aortic smooth muscle stimulant, norepinephrine, was perfused during the stress-relaxation test, before and after removing collagen with collagenase. The collagen-free artery did not show any contraction due to the smooth muscle, in contrast to the intact artery. This indicates that there may be important interactions between the collagen matrix and smooth muscle. This new technique can be used to study the contribution of smooth muscle to the mechanical properties of aorta.
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Park, J.B., Hoffman, A.S. Interaction of collagen and smooth muscle cells in aortic biomechanics. Ann Biomed Eng 6, 167–171 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02584543
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02584543