The coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of glucose exposed arterial elastin

Abstract

Elastin, the principle protein component of the elastic fiber, is a critical extracellular matrix (ECM) component of the arterial wall providing structural resilience and biological signaling essential in vascular morphogenesis and maintenance of mechanical homeostasis. Pathogenesis of many cardiovascular diseases have been associated with alterations of elastin. As a long-lived ECM protein that is deposited and organized before adulthood, elastic fibers can suffer from cumulative effects of biochemical exposure encountered during aging and/or disease, which greatly compromise their mechanical function. This review article covers findings from recent studies of the mechanical and structural contribution of elastin to vascular function, and the effects of biochemical degradation. Results from diverse experimental methods including tissue-level mechanical characterization, fiber-level nonlinear optical imaging, piezoelectric force microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance are reviewed. The intriguing coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of elastin calls for a multi-scale and multi-physical understanding of ECM mechanics and mechanobiology in vascular remodeling.

From electricity to vitality: the emerging use of piezoelectric materials in tissue regeneration

“…Elastin is an extracellular matrix (ECM) that is present mainly in connective tissues, confers elasticity and flexibility on tissues such as skin, blood vessels and lung tissue, and participates in biological signal transmission. Elastin exhibits piezoelectric properties under mechanical stress, such as during the dilation and contraction of blood vessels and the expansion and contraction of lung tissue [ 128 , 129 ]. The piezoelectric charge generated by elastin may be involved in the regulation of the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and in the repair of blood vessels in the context of vascular injury or disease, affecting the morphology and function of blood vessels [ 128 ].…”

“…Elastin exhibits piezoelectric properties under mechanical stress, such as during the dilation and contraction of blood vessels and the expansion and contraction of lung tissue [ 128 , 129 ]. The piezoelectric charge generated by elastin may be involved in the regulation of the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and in the repair of blood vessels in the context of vascular injury or disease, affecting the morphology and function of blood vessels [ 128 ]. The generation of charge by elastin might also play a role in the binding of oxygen to hemoglobin and the regulation of intravascular pressure [ 129 ].…”