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Residual strain in human atherosclerotic coronary arteries and age related geometrical changes
J Valenta1, J Svoboda, D Valerianova
1Department of Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
The opening angle of human coronary arteries decreases with age and atherosclerosis. This geometric change impacts blood flow, influenced by arterial wall remodeling and elasticity changes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pathology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the arterial endothelium and intima.
- The geometry of coronary arteries is crucial for efficient blood transport.
- Age-related changes and arterial wall properties influence vascular structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the opening angles of human coronary artery segments.
- To investigate the relationship between opening angle, atherosclerosis, and age.
- To analyze the impact of arterial wall remodeling on coronary artery geometry.
Main Methods:
- Excised human coronary artery rings (n=16) were analyzed 10 hours post-mortem.
- Opening angles were measured and correlated with the degree of atherosclerosis.
- Age-related changes in external diameter and wall thickness were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Coronary artery opening angle decreases linearly with distance from the right coronary artery orifice.
- A significant reduction in opening angle was observed with increasing atherosclerosis.
- Age-related arterial wall hardening and remodeling affect the opening angle.
Conclusions:
- Coronary artery opening angle is a sensitive indicator of atherosclerosis and age-related changes.
- Arterial wall remodeling, rather than residual strain, plays a key role in structural changes.
- Further in vivo studies are needed to validate these findings.
Abstract:
The opening angles of 16 rings excised from human coronary arteries with different degrees of atherosclerosis were determined 10 hours after death. Atherosclerosis, as a chronic inflammatory response of arterial endothelium and intima, is defined by three degrees of its development. The opening angle decreases more or less linearly with the distance from the right coronary artery orifice. This is in accordance with the functional requirements posed on blood transport into the coronary arteries. A decrease of the opening angle with age is affected by hardening of the arterial wall, among other factors. This is in accordance with a stochastic model of age related changes in the initial modulus of elasticity of the coronary artery. A part of the free energy of smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, collagen and elastic fibres is used not for creating residual strain but for remodeling the arterial wall structure. The opening angle is also considerably affected by the degree of atheroclerosis. The dependence on age of the external diameter and the thickness of the intact left and right coronary arteries in the vicinity of the aortic sinus was also analyzed in two female and two male subjects. To ensure the objectivity of the results it is necessary to carry out additional experiments and studies in vivo.