Research Paper Advance Articles

Figure 5. Evaluation of elastic fibers within the aortic wall (n = 5–10, red) and young (n = 5–10, blue). (A) Decision tree allowing the evaluation of elastogenesis and elastolysis. (B) mRNA expression of elastin (ELN), fibulin 5 (FBLN5), fibrillin 1 (FBN1), latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 4 (LTBP4). (C) Quantification of total elastin on the thoracic aorta (dark blue circle and dark red square) and the abdominal aorta (light blue circle and light red square). (D) Quantification of the different crosslinks formed within elastic fibers such as isodesmosine, desmosine, merodesmosine, lysinonorleucine (LNL) in the thoracic aorta. (E) Visualization of the ruptures (arrowheads) of the elastic lamellae observed by the autofluorescence of elastin. (F) Total quantification of the ruptures observed in Figure 5E. (G) Counting the number of ruptures observed for each elastic lamella and determining from Figure E. (H) Plasma quantification of elastin-derived peptides (EDP) and desmosines. (I) mRNA expression of elastases such as matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9), neutrophil elastase (NE) and cathepsin S. (J) Plasma activities of neutrophil elastase (NE) and cathepsin S. (K) mRNA expression of natural elastase inhibitors, TIMP1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase), cystatin C, Serine protein inhibitor (SERPIN). Statistical test: Mann-Whitney. Mean +/− SEM. Significant differences (^*p < 0.05, ^**p < 0.001, ^***p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney).