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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Feb 15.
Published in final edited form as: Circ Res. 2008 Dec 18;104(3):380–387. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.108.180695

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Overexpression of heparanase alters the mechanical compliance and ultimate strength of the mouse aorta. The thoracic aortae were harvested from transgenic and wild-type animals and mechanical properties measured using a Bose BioDynamic test instrument. (a) Aortic stiffness expressed as the slope of the force-displacement curve was reduced in HPA Tg animals. (b) Average aortic ultimate strength was reduced in mice expressing the heparanase transgene. (c) Circumferential aortic stiffness of wild type and HPA Tg animals. (d) Circumferential ultimate force for aortae isolated from wild type and HPA Tg animals. (e) Circumferential stiffness of the elastin network remaining after digestion with NaOH solution. (f) Circumferential ultimate strength of the elastin network remaining after digestion with NaOH solution. (g) Example of a local, spontaneous aneurysm found in the aorta of a transgenic heparanase mouse compared to a wild type control. The sample was stained with elastic Movat’s pentachrome stain. Bar = 50 μm.