Regional arterial stress-strain distributions referenced to the zero-stress state in the rat.

Morphometric and stress-strain properties were studied in isolated segments of the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, left common carotid artery, left femoral artery, and the left pulmonary artery in 16 male Wistar rats. The mechanical test was performed as a distension experiment where the proximal end of the arterial segment was connected via a tube to the container used for applying pressures to the segment and the distal end was left free. Outer wall dimensions were obtained from digitized images of the arterial segments at different pressures as well as at no-load and zero-stress states. The results showed that the morphometric data, such as inner and outer circumference, wall and lumen area, wall thickness, wall thickness-to-inner radius ratio, and normalized outer diameter, as a function of the applied pressures, differed between the five arteries (P < 0.01). The opening angle was largest in the pulmonary artery and smallest in thoracic aorta (P < 0.01). The absolute value of both the inner and outer residual strain and the residual strain gradient were largest in the femoral artery and smallest in the thoracic aorta (P < 0.01). In the circumferential and longitudinal direction, the arterial wall was stiffest in the femoral artery and in the thoracic aorta, respectively, and most compliant in the pulmonary artery. These results show that the morphometric and biomechanical properties referenced to the zero-stress state differed between the five arterial segments.