title: The effects of cadmium on the structure and elastic properties of carotid arteries from rats.
abstract: Cadmium chloride (0.6 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into seventy-five rats to determine if this material altered the static elastic properties of the carotid arteries. Control rats were either injected with saline or left untreated. The elastic properties were determined from cylindrical segments of artery which were distended with water of known volume. The pressure and length were measured. Experiments were done either at constant in vivo length or with the artery untethered so the length altered with pressure. Comparison of the methods allowed analysis of the role of elastin and collagen oriented circumferentially, longitudinally, of helically. The major changes occurred in the longitudinal direction. The initial part of the curve has previously been shown to be due to elastin, and the final part to collagen. Collagen increased more than elastin and muscle (as determined from point counting of trichrome-stained sections), but appeared to have the same elastic modulus as normal collagen. The major change was in the "cross-linking" between collagen fibres. This increased with time on the CdCl2 in a manner comparable to that seen with age in humans. Many of the changes were biphasic, and changes that occurred between one and four weeks on the CdCl2 were often recovered with continued treatment. The reason for this is obscure.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology; D004548:Elasticity; D004549:Elastin / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin