TY - JOUR
T1 - Delineation of the extracellular determinants of ultrasonic scattering from elastic arteries
AU - Hall, Christopher S.
AU - Nguyen, Cuong T.
AU - Scott, Michael J.
AU - Lanza, Gregory M.
AU - Wickline, Samuel A.
PY - 2000/5
Y1 - 2000/5
N2 - Elastic arteries consist of three primary components: elastin fibers, extracellular collagen matrix and smooth muscle cells. However, the relative contribution of elastin and collagen fibers to overall ultrasonic scattering from an intact arterial wall is poorly understood. To define the principal source of extracellular scattering from the medial layer of elastic arteries, canine ascending aortas (n = 10) were excised, fixed and sectioned for insonification. Subsequently, aortic specimens were restudied after treatment to dissolve all tissue components except extracellular collagen matrix (n = 5) and elastin fibers (n = 5). Histological staining revealed very few elastin fibers and sparse intact collagen in collagen-isolated and elastin- isolated tissues, respectively. Integrated backscatter, attenuation and backscatter coefficients differentiated these two treated tissues. The backscatter coefficient for elastin-isolated tissue demonstrated a fivefold increase over collagen-isolated tissue, suggesting that elastin fibers represent a primary scattering component within elastic arteries, and the collagen fibers may provide a secondary component of scattering.
AB - Elastic arteries consist of three primary components: elastin fibers, extracellular collagen matrix and smooth muscle cells. However, the relative contribution of elastin and collagen fibers to overall ultrasonic scattering from an intact arterial wall is poorly understood. To define the principal source of extracellular scattering from the medial layer of elastic arteries, canine ascending aortas (n = 10) were excised, fixed and sectioned for insonification. Subsequently, aortic specimens were restudied after treatment to dissolve all tissue components except extracellular collagen matrix (n = 5) and elastin fibers (n = 5). Histological staining revealed very few elastin fibers and sparse intact collagen in collagen-isolated and elastin- isolated tissues, respectively. Integrated backscatter, attenuation and backscatter coefficients differentiated these two treated tissues. The backscatter coefficient for elastin-isolated tissue demonstrated a fivefold increase over collagen-isolated tissue, suggesting that elastin fibers represent a primary scattering component within elastic arteries, and the collagen fibers may provide a secondary component of scattering.
KW - Backscatter
KW - Canine
KW - Collagen
KW - Elastic arteries
KW - Elastin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034040658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0301-5629(99)00165-9
DO - 10.1016/S0301-5629(99)00165-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 10856624
AN - SCOPUS:0034040658
SN - 0301-5629
VL - 26
SP - 613
EP - 620
JO - Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
JF - Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
IS - 4
ER -