title: The impact of age on incremental elastic modulus and incremental compliance of pig hepatic portal vein for liver xenotransplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pigs are currently considered the most likely source of organs for human xenotransplantation because of anatomical and physiological similarities to humans, and the relative ease to be bred in large numbers. Along with the fast development of the genetic engineering and organ transplant immunity medical science, the research of liver xenotransplantation suffers the very big valuing in recent years. Whether the livers from different species after transplanting can perform the normal function, depends on the function regeneration and lucid rates of hepatic portal vein. The objective of this study was to investigate the age effect on biomechanical properties of pig hepatic portal vein to pave the way for seeking a reliable biomaterial for future pig-to-human liver xenotransplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The biomechanical remodelling of the hepatic portal vein of pigs for 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 months (n = 6 per month) were measured in this study. The blood vessel was given periodic permanent loading and unloading, and repeated force-deformation data were obtained. The incremental modulus (Einc), the longitudinal incremental modulus (Ep), the circumferential incremental modulus (Ev), incremental compliance (C) and wall thickness were calculated based on the recorded pressure-diameter curves from experimental data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incremental modulus, pressure strain modulus and the volume modulus of the pig hepatic portal vein increases with the age increased (P < 0.01), while the compliance decreased with the increasing of the age (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our present study suggests that the biomechanical properties of the pig hepatic portal vein are age dependent, the pig hepatic portal vein with biomechanical properties that match those of human hepatic portal vein should be chosen for liver xenotransplantation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics, Yunyang Medical College, Shiyan, China.
authors.forename: Pei-Jun
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Dong-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tie-Zhu
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003187:Compliance / Q000502:physiology; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous