The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays crucial roles in cardiovascular physiology
and pathophysiology. However, many of the signaling mechanisms have been unclear. The …

Background Aortic aneurysms (AA) are pathological dilations of the aorta, associated with
an overall mortality rate up to 90% in case of rupture. In addition to dilation, the aortic layers …

Thoracic aortic diseases that involve progressive enlargement, acute dissection, or rupture
are influenced by the hemodynamic loads and mechanical properties of the wall. We have …

Blood vessels are constantly exposed to mechanical stimuli such as shear stress due to flow
and pulsatile stretch. The extracellular matrix maintains the structural integrity of the vessel …

Thoracic aortic aneurysms that progress to acute aortic dissections are often fatal. Thoracic
aneurysms have been managed with treatment with β-adrenergic blocking agents (β …

The medial layer of the aorta confers elasticity and strength to the aortic wall and is
composed of alternating layers of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and elastic fibres. The SMC …

The fibulin family of extracellular matrix/matricellular proteins is composed of long fibulins
(fibulin-1,-2,-6) and short fibulins (fibulin-3,-4,-5,-7) and is involved in protein–protein …

Thoracic aortic diseases, including aneurysms and dissections of the thoracic aorta, are a
major cause of morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for thoracic aortic disease include …

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are life-threatening lesions that afflict young and old individuals
alike. They frequently associate with genetic mutations and are characterized by reduced …

We recently developed an approach to characterize local nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical
properties of murine arteries by combining biaxial extension–distension testing, panoramic …