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Transmission of pulsatility in the microcirculation: Where and how damping occurs?
Author(s) -
Pan Qing,
Wang Ruofan,
Reglin Bettina,
Yan Jing,
Ning Gangmin,
Pries Axel R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.899.1
Subject(s) - microcirculation , amplitude , blood flow , mechanics , reflection (computer programming) , pulse (music) , flow (mathematics) , vascular resistance , transmission (telecommunications) , physics , hemodynamics , optics , medicine , engineering , cardiology , computer science , telecommunications , detector , programming language
Background Pulsatility of blood flow plays a critical role in vascular regulation. It is prominent in arterioles but attenuated in venules, due to damping in microvascular beds. However, the damping mechanisms of flow pulsatility in microcirculation remain unclear. Methods To explore the damping process, we developed a mathematical model describing pulse propagation and reflection through vascular network and applied it to artificial test networks with defined properties and a mesenteric experimental network (546 segments). Pulse damping was quantified by percent change in pulsatility index (PI, pressure amplitude/mean pressure). Results In passage through experimental and test networks, PI is reduced by about 30%. Possible damping mechanisms were investigated by changing modeling parameters and properties of test networks. PI damping was not affected by eliminating viscous properties of vascular wall. Upon eliminating wave reflection related to output boundaries, bifurcations, and to vascular resistance, PI damping was reduced to 27, 18, and 2%, respectively. Conclusion Damping related to vascular resistance dominates in the microcirculation and is mostly related to wave reflection. (supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China, # 81271662).