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Morphometric study of aortic wall parameters evolution in newborn and child
Mihaela Roxana Popescu1, F E Zugun, Elena Cojocaru
1Discipline of Anatomy, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iassy, Romania.
Insights
The aorta
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Histology
Background:
- The aorta, the body's largest artery, is a vital elastic duct crucial for oxygenated blood circulation.
- Its structural integrity relies on three layers: tunica intima, media, and adventitia, with elastic lamellae playing a key role.
- Disturbances in aortic wall components can impair its function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of elastic lamellae in the aortic wall during the transition from intrauterine life to childhood.
- To understand the relationship between elastic lamellae development and other aortic wall components.
- To analyze the dynamic changes in the thoracic aortic wall during early life stages.
Main Methods:
- Stereological quantitative analysis of thoracic aortic tissue samples from newborns and children.
- Assessment of the general configuration and principal constituents of the vascular wall.
- Quantification of collagen and elastic fibers to evaluate their distinct evolutionary patterns.
Main Results:
- Elastic fiber percentage volume increased in both newborns and children, with a slightly higher increase in children.
- Collagen fibers showed a slow but steady increase in children's aortas.
- Distinct evolutionary patterns for elastic and collagen fibers were observed, correlating with mechanical properties.
Conclusions:
- Aortic elastic lamellae development is intrinsically linked to the overall aortic wall configuration and its components.
- The distinct, age-dependent evolution of elastic and collagen fibers is critical for maintaining aortic mechanical properties.
- Further research into vascular smooth muscle cell secretory functions is needed to fully understand aortic development and pathology.
Abstract:
The largest artery in the human body, intimately connected to the heart, aorta is usually regarded as the major source of oxygenated blood for the circulatory system. The three concentric layers, which surround the aortic lumen-the tunics intima, media and adventitia, transform the aorta in a large elastic duct, which is irregular calibrated according to its segments. The special aortic distensibility is facilitated by its elastic circumferential lamellar complex. Any disturbance of its structural components is able to interfere with its normal and vital activity. Our study intends to reveal that the development of elastic lamellae should be regarded not only as an indispensable step for the aortic wall configuration, but also like a process in a firm connection with the rest of aortic wall components. The transition from intrauterine life to a new stage of life, childhood, has to determine an adequate adaptation of almost all the components of aortic wall, in order to sustain a consistent pulsatile blood flow. Stereological quantitative analysis of thoracic aortic fragments prelevated from newborns and children was performed in order to estimate the dynamic of vascular wall increase. We first estimated the general configuration of the thoracic aortic wall, quantifying the principal constituents; the connective tissue profile, investigated through its main elements, collagen and elastic fibers, supports the idea that each type of fiber has a distinct evolution in different groups of ages and has to be correlated with their involvement in maintaining of the aortic wall mechanical properties. Elastic fibers percentage volume was increased in both examined groups, with a small difference reported in children aorta, while collagen fibers exhibit a slow increase in children aorta. Our morphometric quantitative assessment suggests that further studies have to draw of in a precisely manner the outline of the secretory well defined function of vascular smooth muscle cells; the elucidation of the manner in which the secretory pathway for each type of fiber becomes fully adapted to every stage of aortic development will allow a new perspective in aortic pathology.
