Effects of cholesterol feeding periods on aortic mechanical properties of rabbits

Effects of cholesterol feeding periods on the mechanical properties of the excised thoracic and abdominal aortae of rabbits fed a diet containing a high concentration of cholesterol and saturated fat were investigated by means of a tensile testing machine. The mechanical parameters, such as tensile strength, incremental elastic modulus, tensile stress, and an elastic parameter of the thoracic and abdominal aortae, decreased during the development of atherosclerosis. However, their ultimate strain increased. The abdominal aortae were stiffer compared with the thoracic aortae during the feeding periods studied. Cholesterol concentration in blood plasma increased with the period of feeding. Although the cholesterol level significantly correlated with the decrease of tensile strength of the thoracic aortae, it was not significantly correlated with the other deformation and fracture parameters of the aorta.