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Updated: May 29, 2026
Mechanical Testing of Mouse Carotid Arteries: from Newborn to Adult
Published on: February 23, 2012
Endothelial function and mechanical arterial properties in children born small for gestational age: comparison with
B Jouret1, Y Dulac, R Bassil Eter
1Division of Endocrinology, Genetics, Gynecology and Bone Diseases, Children's Hospital, 330 avenue de Grande Bretagne,Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Insights
Children born small for gestational age (SGA) exhibit endothelial dysfunction, a key indicator of early cardiovascular risk. Despite normal intima-media thickness, their arterial function is impaired compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for early cardiovascular events.
- Atherosclerosis development may be preceded by early vascular changes in SGA children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the mechanical and functional arterial properties of SGA children.
- To compare SGA children with obese children and controls to assess vascular dysfunction severity.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion of three groups: SGA (n=60), obese (n=49), and controls (n=55), aged 7-15 years.
- Carotid and brachial artery measurements using ultrasound and flow-mediated dilation.
- Biological measurements in SGA and obese groups.
Main Results:
- SGA children had lower blood pressure and intima-media thickness than obese children (p < 0.001, p = 0.004).
- Flow-mediated dilation was significantly reduced in SGA children compared to both obese children and controls (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Children born SGA demonstrate endothelial dysfunction.
- Intima-media thickness remains normal in SGA children despite functional arterial impairment.
Background:
Early cardiovascular events preceding atherosclerosis have been reported in children born small for gestational age (SGA).
Aims:
To describe in detail the mechanical and functional arterial properties of SGA children and to compare the data to those of obese children in order to gain a better understanding of the severity of the dysfunction. A control group was required to overcome the lack of normal values.
Methods:
Three groups of 7- to 15-year-old children were included. Sixty children born SGA without obesity, 49 children with obesity and not SGA, and 55 controls underwent complete carotid and brachial arterial measurements using ultrasound and flow-mediated dilation. Biological measurements were performed in the obese and SGA groups.
Results:
Mean blood pressure and intima-media thickness were lower in SGA children than in the obese group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively), but not different from the control group. Flow-mediated dilation was lower in SGA than in obese children and in controls (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
These data show that children born SGA have endothelial dysfunction with normal intima-media thickness.
