Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Nitric Oxide Expression With Age And Diet In The Arterial Wall Of Apoe Knockout Mice, Kara Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hypertension is a dangerous condition that precedes many cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction, stroke, transient cerebral ischemic attack and symptomatic aortoiliac occlusive disease. While it is universally accepted that arteries stiffen with age, the physiological reason for this is debated. In a previous study, by Dr. Shana Roach Watson it was shown that collagen fibers re-orient themselves in a circumferential direction, resulting in increased arterial stiffness. The study hypothesized that this collagen remodeling could be a result of decreased nitric oxide production.

Methods: This study measured nitric oxide in two different ways, indirectly via Immunoperoxidase staining for eNOS and …