Once established, AAA progressively evolves towards rupture which is cor related with ma imal aneurysm diameter. Intervention by either open surgery or endovascular repair is offered once the annual risk of rupture outweighs the mortality risk as sociated with intervention. Clinical Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries risk factors for AAA include male gender, age, hypertension, smoking and a family history of aneurysm disease. The pathology of AAA encompasses infiltration by in Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries flammatory cells, apop tosis of smooth muscle cells within the aortic wall, and degradation of the e tracellular matri which severely compromises the structural integrity of the vessel rendering it susceptible to rupture. The in flammatory characteristics of AAA have been a major research focus for many years, yet com paratively fewer investigations have considered the role of SMC.

Given the inherent plasticity of SMC to remodel vascular walls through acquisition of a dedifferentiated, secretory phenotype, this is perhaps surprising. AV-951 SMC are the principal resident cells of the aortic wall and are essential in maintaining its structure through controlled proliferation and by secretion and turnover of ECM. Whilst SMC secrete the building blocks of ECM, they also secrete matri metalloproteinases that are involved in ECM breakdown. The most e ten sively characterised with respect to AAA are the gelatinases MMP 2 and MMP 9, both of which are e pressed Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries at ele vated levels in human and animal AAA tissue specimens. Importantly, MMP 2 or MMP 9 deficient mice fail to develop e perimental aneurysms.

Thus, SMC are capable of maintaining a dynamic ECM that can respond and adapt to the physiological environment. However, during AAA development, inflammatory infiltrates contribute additional proteolytic Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries activity within the ECM and induce SMC apop tosis, severely compromising vessel tone and structure. SMC within the aortic media are unique in their potential to induce repair in the damaged vessel and this makes them an appealing target for further detailed study. A major obstacle to AAA research is that human tissue is not available in the early, silent phase of the disease and specimens acquired at the time of surgical repair are likely to have endured cellular and molecular changes over an e tended period. A number of studies have elucidated evi dence that supports alterations in o idative stress, proliferation and MMP 2 activity in human AAA SMC compared to non aneurysmal SMC.

However, by the very nature of the end stage tissue it is not pos sible to define aberrations in SMC biology that are likely to occur early in disease progression. Murine or rodent models have been generated to facilitate this type of re search and include methods that utilise elastase or angio tensin II infusion, or application of calcium chloride to the e posed adventitia of the aorta.