Impaired vascular contractility and aortic wall degeneration in fibulin-4 deficient mice: effect of angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blockade.

ABSTRACT: Medial degeneration is a key feature of aneurysm disease and aortic dissection. In a murine aneurysm model we investigated the structural and functional characteristics of aortic wall degeneration in adult fibulin-4 deficient mice and the potential therapeutic role of the angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor antagonist losartan in preventing aortic media degeneration. Adult mice with 2-fold (heterozygous Fibulin-4(+/R)) and 4-fold (homozygous Fibulin-4(R/R)) reduced expression of fibulin-4 displayed the histological features of cystic media degeneration as found in patients with aneurysm or dissection, including elastin fiber fragmentation, loss of smooth muscle cells, and deposition of ground substance in the extracellular matrix of the aortic media. The aortic contractile capacit

SUBMITTER: Moltzer E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3153486 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature