Change in Strain Distribution in Rabbit Arteries Due to Smooth Muscle Contraction : Comparison between Elastic and Muscular Arteries(<Special Issue>Bioengineering of Biological and Medical Materials)

Abstract

It has been suggested that smooth muscle contraction alters intramural strain distribution in the artery wall. To examine this hypothesis, change in in vivo strain distribution following smooth muscle contraction was compared between elastic and muscular arteries. Tubular and short ring-like segments of common carotid and femoral arteries were excised from rabbits as an example of elastic and muscular arteries, respectively. Pressure-diameter relationship of the tubular specimens and opening angle of the ring-like segments were measured under various levels of smooth muscle contraction to calculate in vivo strain distribution in the wall. The distribution became uniform in both arteries at a certain level of smooth muscle contraction. The level of the contraction was lower in the muscular artery than in the elastic artery.