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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2009 Aug 15;48(3):490–496. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2009.08.003

Table 1. Proposed Studies on the Mechanical Role of Cardiac ECM Components.

Question Proposed Study Guiding Examples
Is collagen type I/III ratio an important determinant of LV mechanics?

  • Alter myocardial type I/III ratios while controlling for total collagen content.

  • Assess mechanics in vivo and in isolated papillary muscles.
Is elastin an important determinant of LV mechanics?

  • Specifically manipulate myocardial but not vascular elastin content.

  • Assess mechanics in vivo and in isolated papillary muscles.

 Arteries [34]
Do proteoglycans play an important role in LV mechanics?

  • Selectively degrade myocardial proteoglycans.

  • Assess mechanics and water content in vivo and in isolated papillary muscles.

  • Examine effects on residual stress.

 Cartilage [50]
How does turnover of myocytes and ECM components govern changes in mechanics with disease?

  • Quantify content of major ECM components during overload, infarction.

  • Estimate tension/prestress in each ECM component from morphology in hearts fixed at different pressures.

  • Develop model of ECM/myocyte turnover and cardiac remodeling.

 Arteries [35]