HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 293/6/H3650    most recent 00772.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Krishnan, L. Articles by Weiss, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Krishnan, L. Articles by Weiss, J. A.

Interaction of angiogenic microvessels with the extracellular matrix

¹Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; and ²Division of Microcirculation, Arizona Research Laboratories, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Submitted 4 July 2007 ; accepted in final form 5 October 2007

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in angiogenesis by providing biochemical and positional cues, as well as by mechanically influencing microvessel cell behavior. Considerable information is known concerning the biochemical cues relevant to angiogenesis, but less is known about the mechanical dynamics during active angiogenesis. The objective of this study was to characterize changes in the material properties of a simple angiogenic tissue before and during angiogenesis. During sprouting, there was an overall decrease in tissue stiffness followed by an increase during neovessel elongation. The fall in matrix stiffness coincided with peak matrix metalloproteinase mRNA expression and elevated proteolytic activity. An elevated expression of genes for ECM components and cell-ECM interaction molecules and a subsequent drop in proteolytic activity (although enzyme levels remained elevated) coincided with the subsequent stiffening. The results of this study show that the mechanical properties of a scaffold tissue may be actively modified during angiogenesis by the growing microvasculature.

biomechanics; matrix metalloprotease

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Yoshioka and R. T. Lee Vascularization as a Potential Enemy in Valvular Heart Disease Circulation, October 21, 2008; 118(17): 1694 - 1694. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Krishnan, C. J. Underwood, S. Maas, B. J. Ellis, T. C. Kode, J. B. Hoying, and J. A. Weiss Effect of mechanical boundary conditions on orientation of angiogenic microvessels Cardiovasc Res, May 1, 2008; 78(2): 324 - 332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]