Biomechanical Characteristics of Aortic Aneurysms Generated in Fibulin-4 Deficient Mice

Aortic aneurysms affect approximately 5% of the elderly population and aneurysm rupture is responsible for a significant number of deaths in the western world. Risk factors for aortic aneurysm include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. Fibulin-4 is a glycoprotein, which is expressed in medial layers of blood vessels and a critical component for the structural integrity and elasticity of the aortic wall [1]. Mice with reduced levels of Fibulin-4 develop aortic abnormalities similar to Fibulin-4 patients, such as dilation of the ascending aorta. A 4-fold reduction of Fibulin-4 expression (fib-4^R/R) causes a severe dilation, while a mice with a 2-fold reduction (fib-4^+/R) show an onset of aneurysm formation, comparable with the development of an aneurysm in aging humans [2].