Effect of atherosclerosis on thermo-mechanical properties of arterial wall and its repercussion on plaque instability.

Data from the literature report febrile reactions prior to myocardial infarction in patients with normal coronary arteries and that coronary syndromes seem to be triggered by bacterial and viral infections, being fever the common symptom. The thermo-mechanical behavior of thoracic aortas of New Zealand White rabbits with different degrees of atherosclerosis was measured by means of pressure-diameter tests at different temperatures. Specific measurements of the thermal dilatation coefficient of atheroma plaques were performed by means of tensile tests. Results show a different thermo-mechanical behavior, the dilatation coefficient of atheroma plaque being at least twice that of the arterial wall. Temperature-induced mechanical stress at the plaque-vessel interface could be enough to promote plaque rupture. Therefore, increases of corporal temperature, either local or systemic, can play a role in increasing the risk of acute coronary syndromes and deserve a more comprehensive study.