Pressure-induced microstructural changes in porcine tricuspid valve leaflets.

Abstract

Mechanics plays a critical role in development, regeneration, and remodeling of tissues. In the current study, we have conducted experiments to examine how increasing the ventricular pressure leads to realignment of protein fibers comprising the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the tricuspid valve leaflets. Like many other tissues, in cardiac valves, cell-matrix interactions and gene expressions are heavily influenced by changes in the mechanical microenvironment at the ECM/cellular level. We believe that our study will help us better understand how abnormal increases in the right ventricular pressure (due to pulmonary hypertension) could change the structural architecture of tricuspid valve leaflets and subsequently the mechanical microenvironment at the ECM/cellular level.