Histology, extensibility, and chemical composition of pulmonary trunk in persons living at sea-level and at high altitude in Peru.

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Abstract
The histology, physical extensibility, and chemical composition of the media of the pulmonary trunk was studied after death in people who had lived at sea-level and at high altitude in Peru. Among those who had lived at sea-level and who had a normal pattern of elastic tissue there was a gradual decrease in the physical extensibility of the wall of the pulmonary trunk with increasing age and a gradual increase in the concentration of elastin. Some of those native to high altitudes showed a pattern of elastic tissue similar to that found in the fetal pulmonary trunk or in the aorta, an abnormality which suggests the presence of pulmonary hypertension from birth. The extensibility of such specimens was inappropriately low for the age of the subject and the content of elastin inappropriately high. The decrease in extensibility was proportionally greatest at light loads where the effects of elastin are thought to predominate. Neither age nor altitude appeared to have any influence on the content of collagen.