Elastin Content of the Aorta and the Pulmonary Artery in the Japanese

Abstract

Quantitative determinations of the elastin content of the aorta and the pulmonary artery in autopsy tissue specimens from Japanese varying in age from newborn infants to an 81-year old, in cases of accidental deaths (35 males and 22 females), are made, using Scarselli''s method. Preliminary electron microscopic observations revealed that elastic fibers of rabbit aorta were fairly selectively diminished by the four per cent pancreatin solution, pH 9. 5, which was used in Scarselli''s method. Elastin content of the aorta in each decade is as follows: 0 to 10 years, 32. 9% per mg of sample, dry weight; 11 to 20 years, 36. 0%; 21 to 30 years, 29. 3%; 31 to 40 years, 24. 8%; 41 to 50 years, 25. 1%; 51 to 60 years, 21. 6%; 61 to 70 years, 22. 0%; and 71 to 81 years, 21. 1%. Elastin content of the pulmonary artery in each decade is as follows: 0 to 10 years, 27. 7%; 11 to 20 years, 31. 2% 21 to 30 years, 26. 8%; 31 to 40 years, 27. 4%; 41 to 50 years, 27. 6%; 51 to 60 years, 25. 4%; 61 to 70 years, 23. 6%; and 71 to 80 years, 27. 5%. Elastin content of the pulmonary artery shows the maximal value in the 2nd decade, as does the aorta, but the decrease of the content is far less marked than that of the aorta.