Multiscale mathematical modeling of microvascular tone regulation Conference

Kapela, A, Gadkari, T, Nagaraja, S et al. (2009). Multiscale mathematical modeling of microvascular tone regulation . 24 297-298. 10.1007/978-3-642-01697-4_104

cited authors

  • Kapela, A; Gadkari, T; Nagaraja, S; Tsoukias, NM

authors

abstract

  • Microvascular tone and blood flow are determined by passive biomechanical properties of the vessel wall and by active constrictions of the vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). The intracellular calcium concentration in SMC is the major determinant of the active tone and is controlled by a complex system of intracellular and intercellular signaling pathways. We present here a methodology for integrating mathematical descriptions at the cellular level into computational multicellular/whole-vessel models. Detailed descriptions of calcium dynamics and membrane electrophysiology in isolated endothelial and smooth muscle cells are formulated and validated based on subcellular- and cellular-level data. An endothelial/smooth muscle model and multicellular vessel model are formulated by integrating individual cells and accounting for intercellular communication. The biomechanical properties of the vessel wall are integrated into the model by the calcium-dependent active force development and stretch-sensitive membrane channels. The model can simulate agonist-induced vasorelaxation and vasoconstriction, conducted vasoreactivity, myogenic tone and pressure-induced diameter changes. The model can also be used to test hypotheses about tone regulation, such as the role of myoendothelial projections and extracellular potassium in endothelium derived hyperpolarizing factor. Disease-specific changes at the subcellular level can be incorporated into the model to predict their effect on responses at the vessel level. Thus, the integration of subcellular data into a computational model can allow the analysis of complex microcirculatory function in health and disease, hypothesis testing, and guide new experimentation. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

publication date

  • November 6, 2009

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 13

start page

  • 297

end page

  • 298

volume

  • 24