RESUMO
BACKGROUND: With age and blood pressure increasing, the damaged elastic membrane induced by degenerative vascular matrix results in calcium and collagen deposition, and finally expanded large arteries and aortas are easy to cause arteriosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the rheological properties of the common carotid artery in the youth and elderly, thus providing a basis for the study on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis of the common carotid artery. METHODS: Common carotid arteries were respectively removed from the young and elderly cadavers. Ten samples from each group were randomly selected, and subjected to stress relaxation and creep tests. Meanwhile, one sample from each group was selected for histological observation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The stress at 7200 s in the young group was significantly decreased compared with the elderly group (P < 0.05). The strain at 7200 s in the young group was significantly increased compared with the elderly group (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscope observed that in the elderly group, there were lipid plaques and foam cell accumulation; the internal elastic lamina and middle elastic plate presented with degeneration, rupture and disintegration; and there were abundant plaques and inflammatory cells in the intimal and media, which characterized as atherosclerosis. While no lipid plaques were found in the young group. These results indicate that the elastic fibers and collagen fibers in the common carotid artery arrange in disorder as age increases, and the rheological properties are also changed.