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The Effect of Type 1 Diabetes on the Structure and Function of Fibrillin Microfibrils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Riaz Akhtar ,
J Kennedy Cruickshank ,
Natalie J Gardiner ,
Brian Derby  and
Michael J Sherratt
Riaz Akhtar
Affiliation:
riaz.akhtar@manchester.ac.ukThe University of ManchesterSchool of Materials, Manchester, United Kingdom
J Kennedy Cruickshank
Affiliation:
kennedy.cruickshank@manchester.ac.ukThe University of ManchesterCardiovascular Sciences Research Group, Manchester, United Kingdom
Natalie J Gardiner
Affiliation:
Natalie.Gardiner@manchester.ac.ukThe University of ManchesterFaculty of Life Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
Brian Derby
Affiliation:
brian.derby@manchester.ac.ukThe University of ManchesterSchool of Materials, Manchester, United Kingdom
Michael J Sherratt
Affiliation:
michael.j.sherratt@manchester.ac.ukThe University of ManchesterSchool of Biomedicine, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Abstract

In Type 1 and 2 diabetes tissue stiffening is evident from measurements of the gross mechanical properties of the vasculature. Elastic fibers play an important role in the mechanical function of vascular tissue, however, the effects of diabetes on individual elastic fiber components remains poorly defined. Fibrillin microfibrils, a key elastic fiber component, have a ‘beads-on-a-string’ structure with a periodicity of approximately 56 nm. We tested for possible disruption due to diabetes in fibrillin microfibrils isolated from rat aorta using an experimental model of Type 1 diabetes in rats. The isolated fibrillin microfibrils were imaged with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and image analysis techniques were used to characterise the microfibrils. Although there was no significant difference in mean microfibril length (control 23.2 repeats, SEM 6.2 repeats: diabetic 23.6 repeats, SEM 6.1 repeats: Mann Whitney U-test, p=0.391), mean periodicity was significantly reduced in microfibrils isolated from the diabetic rats (52.7 nm, SEM 0.4 nm) compared with age-matched controls (59.5 nm, SEM 0.4 nm) (p<0.001, Student's t-test). This study shows that diabetes leads to significant ultrastructural morphological changes in fibrillin microfibrils.

Keywords

biologicalscanning probe microscopy (SPM)morphology
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1274: Symposium QQ – Biological Materials and Structures in Physiologically Extreme Conditions and Disease , 2010 , 1274-QQ05-17
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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