Gyoneva, Lazarina2016-09-192016-09-192016-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/182277University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2016. Major: Biomedical Engineering. Advisor: Victor Barocas. 1 computer file (PDF); xix, 136 pages.The glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is a vital part of the blood-urine filtration barrier in the kidneys. In healthy GBMs, the main tension-resisting component is α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) type IV collagen, but in some diseases it is replaced by other collagen IV isoforms. As a result, the GBM becomes leaky and disorganized, ultimately resulting in kidney failure. Our goal is to understanding the biomechanical aspects of the α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) chains and how their absence could be responsible for (1) the initial injury to the GBM and (2) progression to kidney failure. A combination of experiments and computational models were designed for that purpose. A model basement membrane was used to compare experimentally the distensibility of tissues with the α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) chains present and missing. The experiments showed basement membranes containing α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) chains were less distensible. It has been postulated that the higher level of lateral cross-linking (supercoiling) in the α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) networks contributes additional strength/stability to basement membranes. In a computational model of supercoiled networks, we found that supercoiling greatly increased the stiffness of collagen IV networks but only minimally decreased the permeability, which is well suited for the needs of the GBM. It is also known that the α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) networks are more protected from enzymatic degradation, and we explored their significance in GBM remodeling. Our simulations showed that the more protected network was needed to prevent the system from entering a dangerous feedback cycle due to autoregulation mechanisms in the kidneys. Overall, the work adds to the evidence of biomechanical differences between the α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) networks and other collagen IV networks, points to supercoiling as the main source of biomechanical differences, discusses the suitability of α3(IV)α4(IV)α5(IV) networks to meet the mechanics and permeability needs of the GBM, and explores the role of biomechanics and enzymatic digestion in GBM remodeling.enBasement membranebiomechanicscollagen IVKidneyThesis or Dissertation