Structural analysis of adventitial collagen to feature aging and aneurysm formation in human aorta

Providing tensile strength to the aorta, adventitial collagen structure is thought to relate with pathogenesis of aging and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, those structural changes of collagen have been presented without quantitative analysis or assessment of mechanical properties. Analyzing quantitatively collagen structure at abdominal aortas using recently established methods, this report showed comprehensive adventitial collagen structure in human aortas and those with AAA for the first time. We indicated that collagen structures were maintained in aging and AAA and showed the microstructural collagen change in AAA, which is consistent with previous results such as alteration of cross-linkage in AAA.