Review of the Techniques Used for Investigating the Role Elastin and Collagen Play in Arterial Wall Mechanics

Abstract

This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI 10.1109/RBME.2020.3005448, IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.The arterial wall is characterised by a complex microstructure that impacts the mechanical properties of the vascular tissue. The main components consist in collagen and elastin fibres, proteoglycans, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) and ground matrix. While VSMCs play a key role in the active mechanical response of arteries, collagen and elastin determine the passive mechanics. Several experimental methods have been designed to investigate the role of these structural proteins in determining the passive mechanics of the arterial wall. Microscopy imaging of load-free or fixed samples provides useful information on the structure-function coupling of the vascular tissue, and mechanical testing provides information on the mechanical role of collagen and elastin networks. However, when these techniques are used separately, they fail to provide a full picture of the arterial micromechanics. More recently, advances in imaging techniques have allowed combining both methods, thus dynamically imaging the sample while loaded in a pseudo-physiological way, and overcoming the limitation of using either of the two methods separately. The present review aims at describing the techniques currently available to researchers for the investigation of the arterial wall micromechanics. This review also aims to elucidate the current understanding of arterial mechanics and identify some research gaps.Addenbrookes Hospita