Abstract

INTRODUCTION

THREE CONSIDERATIONS

CONCLUSIONS

Discussion
Board

This contribution aims to provide some general considerations when trying to understand the role of acute and structural responses to flow and pressure in the adaptation of vascular networks. First, functional responses affect structural adaptation by sharing of their stimulus. Thus, elevation of the local pressure results in myogenic constriction, which normalizes wall tension to some extent, reducing the stimulus for inward remodeling or hypertrophy. Second, vascular structure influences functional control. Shear stress in the dilated arterial bed depends on the architecture, and in the coronary circulation decreases towards the capillary bed. This could affect the contribution of flow-dependent dilation in large vs. small vessels during autoregulation. Alternatively, the set-point of the shear stress sensor for functional dilation may well be determined by the long-term average of the shear stress, and thus by the structure. Third: flow and pressure responses (either functional or structural) interact. Any response to the local pressure in network affects the local shear stress, and vice versa. The interaction depends critically on the network design. Due to these complex mechanical interactions (in addition to the cellular interactions), the proper understanding of pressure- and flow-dependent blood flow control flow requires an integrative approach including all these aspects.

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Presentation Number SAvanbavel0654
Keywords: pressure, flow, remodeling, artery, model