Rise and fall of elastic fibers from development to aging. Consequences on arterial structure-function and therapeutical perspectives.

Rise and fall of elastic fibers from development to aging. Consequences on arterial structure-function and therapeutical perspectives. Matrix Biol. 2019 Sep 04;: Authors: Fhayli W, Boëté Q, Harki O, Briançon-Marjollet A, Jacob MP, Faury G Abstract In the arteries of vertebrates, evolution has given rise to resilient macromolecular structures, elastin and elastic fibers, capable of sustaining an elevated blood pressure and smoothing the discontinuous blood flow and pressure generated by the heart. Elastic fibers are produced only during development and childhood, before being progressively degraded by mechanical stress and enzymatic activities during adulthood and aging. During this period, arterial elastic fiber calcification and loading of lipids also occur, all of these events conducting to arteriosclerosis. This leads to a progressive dysfunction of the large elastic arteries inducing elevated blood pressure as well as altered hemodynamics and organ perfusion, which induce more global malfunctions of the body during normal aging. Additionally, some arterial conditions occur more frequently with advancing age, such as atherosclerosis or aneurysms, which are called age-related diseases or pathological aging. The physiological or pathological degradation of elastic fibers and function of elastic arteries seemed to be rather inevitable over time. However, during the recent years, different molecules - including several ATP-dependen...
Source: Matrix Biology - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Matrix Biol Source Type: research