title: Biomechanical and biochemical properties of the thoracic aorta in warmblood horses, Friesian horses, and Friesians with aortic rupture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thoracic aortic rupture and aortopulmonary fistulation are rare conditions in horses. It mainly affects Friesian horses. Intrinsic differences in biomechanical properties of the aortic wall might predispose this breed. The biomechanical and biochemical properties of the thoracic aorta were characterized in warmblood horses, unaffected Friesian horses and Friesians with aortic rupture in an attempt to unravel the underlying pathogenesis of aortic rupture in Friesian horses. Samples of the thoracic aorta at the ligamentum arteriosum (LA), mid thoracic aorta (T1) and distal thoracic aorta (T2) were obtained from Friesian horses with aortic rupture (A), nonaffected Friesian (NA) and warmblood horses (WB). The biomechanical properties of these samples were determined using uniaxial tensile and rupture assays. The percentages of collagen and elastin (mg/mg dry weight) were quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data revealed no significant biomechanical nor biochemical differences among the different groups of horses. The distal thoracic aorta displayed an increased stiffness associated with a higher collagen percentage in this area and a higher load-bearing capacity compared to the more proximal segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings match reported findings in other animal species. Study results did not provide evidence that the predisposition of the Friesian horse breed for aortic rupture can be attributed to altered biomechanical properties of the aortic wall.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Veronique.Saey@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saey
authors.affiliation: Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Nele.Famaey@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Famaey
authors.affiliation: Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Marija.Smoljkic@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smoljkic
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium. Erik.Claeys@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Claeys
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Gunther.Vanloon@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Loon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Richard.Ducatelle@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ducatelle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Margreet.Ploeg@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Margreet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ploeg
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Catherine.Delesalle@ugent.be.|Department of Comparative Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Catherine.Delesalle@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delesalle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. A.Grone@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gröne
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Luc.Duchateau@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duchateau
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Koen.Chiers@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chiers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004549:Elastin / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin