Cardiovascular Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
J Struct Biol. 2012 Nov;180(2):335-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2012.06.007. Epub 2012 Jun 21.
Collagen plays an important role in the response of the arterial wall to mechanical loading and presumably has a load-bearing function preventing overdistension. Collagen configuration is important for understanding this role, in particular in mathematical models of arterial wall mechanics. In this study a new method is presented to image and quantify this configuration. Collagen in the arterial adventitia is stained with CNA35, and imaged in situ at high resolution with confocal microscopy at luminal pressures from 0 to 140mm Hg. The images are processed with a new automatic approach, utilizing techniques intended for MRI-DTI data. Collagen configuration is quantified through three parameters: the waviness, the transmural angle and the helical angle. The method is demonstrated for the case of carotid arteries of the white New Zealand rabbit. The waviness indicated a gradual straightening between 40 and 80mm Hg. The transmural angle was about zero indicating that the fibers stayed within an axial-circumferential plane at all pressures. The helical angle was characterized by a symmetrical distribution around the axial direction, indicating a double symmetrical helix. The method is the first to combine high resolution imaging with a new automatic image processing approach to quantify the 3D configuration of collagen in the adventitia as a function of pressure.
胶原蛋白在动脉壁对机械载荷的反应中起着重要作用，并且可能具有防止过度扩张的承载功能。胶原蛋白的结构对于理解这一作用很重要，特别是在动脉壁力学的数学模型中。在这项研究中，提出了一种新的方法来成像和量化这种结构。用 CNA35 对动脉外膜中的胶原蛋白进行染色，并在腔内压力从 0 到 140mmHg 的情况下，利用共聚焦显微镜进行高分辨率原位成像。图像通过一种新的自动方法进行处理，该方法利用了用于 MRI-DTI 数据的技术。通过三个参数来量化胶原蛋白的结构：波纹度、跨壁角度和螺旋角。该方法针对新西兰白兔的颈动脉进行了演示。在 40 到 80mmHg 之间，波纹度显示出逐渐变直的趋势。跨壁角度接近零，表明纤维在所有压力下都保持在轴向-周向平面内。螺旋角的特点是围绕轴向呈对称分布，表明是一个双重对称螺旋。该方法是首次将高分辨率成像与新的自动图像处理方法相结合，以量化作为压力函数的外膜中胶原蛋白的 3D 结构。
