Comparative analysis of arterial compliance in mice genetically null for cathepsins K, L, or S.

Cysteine cathepsins are potent proteases implicated in cardiovascular disease for degrading extracellular matrix (ECM) whose structure and integrity determine the mechanical behavior of arteries. Cathepsin knockout mouse models fed atherogenic diets have been used to study their roles in cardiovascular disease, but the impacts of cathepsin knockout on non-atherosclerotic arterial mechanics are scarce. We examine arterial mechanics in several cathepsin knockout mouse lines (CatK, CatLApoE and CatSApoE) and controls (C57/Bl6, apolipoprotein E).