Effects of Age, Sex, and Extracellular Matrix Integrity on Aortic Dilatation and Rupture in a Mouse Model of Marfan Syndrome.

Collagen fiber structure and function in the Marfan aorta are augmented, in part, by increased lysyl oxidase in female and especially male mice, which improves structural integrity, particularly via fibrils in the adventitia. Preserving or promoting collagen cross-linking may represent a therapeutic target for an otherwise vulnerable aorta.