title: Effect of sex on biomechanical properties of the proper hepatic artery in pigs and humans for liver xenotransplant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the relation between biomechanical properties of the proper hepatic artery and sex in pigs and humans to provide the theoretical basis for selecting suitable donor in pig-to-human liver xenotransplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proper hepatic arteries of 32 Chinese Hubei white pigs (8 males, 8 females, 8 castrated males, and 8 ovariectomized females) and 10 deceased donors (5 human men, 5 human women) were obtained. The pressure-diameter relations of the proper hepatic arteries were measured on biomechanical test equipment to calculate the incremental elastic modulus (Einc), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), volume elastic modulus (Ev), and compliance. Each sample was sliced into 5-μm frozen sections and stained with hematoxylin-eosin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in Einc (F=10.24; P = .001), Ep (F=3.75; P = .001), and Ev (F=3.41; P = .002) of the proper hepatic arteries of female, male, and gonadectomized pigs; females had the lowest elastic modulus and the gonadectomized group had the highest (P < .01). There was a significant difference in compliance of the porcine proper hepatic arteries between the sexes, highest in the female group and lowest in the gonadectomized group (P < .01). No difference in the elastic modulus and compliance of the proper hepatic artery between the male pig and the human man. There was no difference between the female pig and the human woman.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were differences in the biomechanical properties of the proper hepatic arteries of the female, male, and gonadectomized pigs. The biomechanical properties of the human men/women proper hepatic artery match those of the porcine male/female hepatic artery. The correlation between sex and biomechanical properties of the proper hepatic artery in pigs could imply that a pig of the same sex should be chosen for pig-to-human liver xenotransplant.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Shiyan, 442000, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xi-Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Han-Qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tie-Zhu
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003187:Compliance; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010052:Ovariectomy; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol