EFFECT OF VAGOTOMY ON THE MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE AORTA

摘要

The present study determined the long-term effect of bilateral dissection of the vagi nerves on the in vitro mechanical performance of the aortic wall. Eight healthy pigs were subjected to bilateral vagotomy, regarded as parasympathetic denervation, and ten pigs were sham-operated. Animals were euthanized three months later, and the aortic arch was excised. Tensile testing showed that the aortic wall after parasympathetic denervation was stiffer under low and physiologic, but not under high stresses. The effect of parasympathectomy on aortic function, thus, merits further clinical investigation.