title: Critical buckling pressure in mouse carotid arteries with altered elastic fibers.
abstract: Arteries can buckle axially under applied critical buckling pressure due to a mechanical instability. Buckling can cause arterial tortuosity leading to flow irregularities and stroke. Genetic mutations in elastic fiber proteins are associated with arterial tortuosity in humans and mice, and may be the result of alterations in critical buckling pressure. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate how genetic defects in elastic fibers affect buckling pressure. We use mouse models of human disease with reduced amounts of elastin (Eln+/-) and with defects in elastic fiber assembly due to the absence of fibulin-5 (Fbln5-/-). We find that Eln+/- arteries have reduced buckling pressure compared to their wild-type controls. Fbln5-/- arteries have similar buckling pressure to wild-type at low axial stretch, but increased buckling pressure at high stretch. We fit material parameters to mechanical test data for Eln+/-, Fbln5-/- and wild-type arteries using Fung and four-fiber strain energy functions. Fitted parameters are used to predict theoretical buckling pressure based on equilibrium of an inflated, buckled, thick-walled cylinder. In general, the theoretical predictions underestimate the buckling pressure at low axial stretch and overestimate the buckling pressure at high stretch. The theoretical predictions with both models replicate the increased buckling pressure at high stretch for Fbln5-/- arteries, but the four-fiber model predictions best match the experimental trends in buckling pressure changes with axial stretch. This study provides experimental and theoretical methods for further investigating the influence of genetic mutations in elastic fibers on buckling behavior and the development of arterial tortuosity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
authors.forename: Callan M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Luetkemeyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
authors.forename: Rhys H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
authors.forename: Siva Teja
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Devarakonda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
authors.forename: Victoria P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Hai-Chao
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States. Electronic address: jessica.wagenseil@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wagenseil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000166:cytology*; D004547:Elastic Tissue; D008297:Male; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D051379:Mice; D011312:Pressure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: Elastin; Fibulin-5; Mechanics; Tortuosity