
Multiphoton Excitation Imaging of the Arterial Vascular Bed 299
13.5.2 Deformation
e dierent microstructural components in the vessel wall have dierent mechanical properties and
take up loads at dierent stress levels. Changes in the structure and organization of the vessel constitu-
ents under dierent mechanical loading conditions have been observed in a nondestructive manner
by two-photon excitation microscopy. Zoumi etal. monitored the eect of transmural pressure (0, 30,
and 180 mmHg) on excised porcine coronary artery microstructure [41]. With increasing pressure, the
bers became thinner and more elongated. ese investigators concluded ...