Elastin in large artery stiffness and hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Large artery stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity, is correlated with high blood pressure and may be a causative factor in essential hypertension. The extracellular matrix components, specifically the mix of elastin and collagen in the vessel wall, determine the passive mechanical properties of the large arteries. Elastin is organized into elastic fibers in the wall during arterial development in a complex process that requires spatial and temporal coordination of numerous proteins. The elastic fibers last the lifetime of the organism but are subject to proteolytic degradation and chemical alterations that change their mechanical properties. This review discusses how alterations in the amount, assembly, organization, or chemical properties of the elastic fibers affect arterial sti

SUBMITTER: Wagenseil JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3383658 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature