The effects of polar solutes on the viscoelastic behavior of elastin.

The viscoelastic behavior of arterial elastin in aqueous solutions of polar solutes has been studied to establish both its range of behavior and the mechanisms by which the behavior is altered by the solutes. We were particularly interested in whether a solute interacted directly with the elastin or whether it acted only indirectly to reduce the activity of water. The behavior of elastin in solutions of glucose, NaCl, ammonium sulphate, and in low concentrations of ethylene glycol was similar to that of elastin that had been directly dehydrated or indirectly dehydrated using osmotic agents such as dextran or polyethylene glycol. This similarity suggests that these solutes interact with elastin only indirectly. Thiocyanate and high concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylene glycol appeared to interact directly with the elastin, altering both the swelling and the viscoelastic behavior of the network.