FIG. 1.

TgLOX mice exhibit higher vascular stiffness and structural elastin abnormalities. (A) Elastin staining (green) in non-permeabilized vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) isolated from wild-type (WT) and TgLOX mice. Nuclei were stained with Hoechst 33342 (blue). Bar size: 20 μm. (B) Levels of insoluble elastin in VSMC from WT and TgLOX mice after [³H]-valine supplementation. Data were normalized per DNA content in each individual well. (C) Wall/lumen-pressure curves and (D) stress-strain curves in mesenteric resistance arteries (MRAs) from WT, TgLOX, or TgLOX mice receiving BAPN. β-values (slopes of the stress-strain relationships) are also shown. (E) Maximal projections of the internal elastic lamina (IEL) and fenestrae area and number of MRAs from WT, TgLOX, or TgLOX mice receiving BAPN. Projections were obtained from serial optical sections that were captured with a fluorescence confocal microscope ( × 63 oil immersion objective). Image size: 59.5 × 59.5 μm. Results are represented as mean ± SEM (n = 4–10; *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 vs. WT; +p < 0.05, ++p < 0.01 vs. untreated TgLOX mice). BAPN, β-aminopropionitrile; SEM, standard error of the mean. To see this illustration in color, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertpub.com/ars