Deletion of type VIII collagen reduces blood pressure, increases carotid artery functional distensibility and promotes elastin deposition

studies revealed that the absence of Col-8 dramatically increased tropoelastin mRNA and elastic fiber deposition in the ECM, which was decreased with exogenous Col-8 treatment. These findings suggest a causative role for Col-8 in reducing mRNA levels of tropoelastin and the presence of elastic fibers in the matrix. Moreover, we also found that Col-8 and elastin have opposing effects on VSMC phenotype, the former promoting a synthetic phenotype, whereas the latter confers quiescence. These studies further our understanding of Col-8 function and open a promising new area of investigation related to elastin biology.