Design Principles of Vascular Beds

Hemodynamic parameters were determined in each vessel segment of six complete microvascular networks in the rat mesentery by using a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical simulations.For a total number of 2592 segments, a strong unified dependence of wall shear stress on intravasc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Circulation research 1995-11, Vol.77 (5), p.1017-1023
Main Authors: Pries, Axel R, Secomb, Timothy W, Gaehtgens, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arterioles - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomechanical Phenomena
Blood Flow Velocity
Capillaries - physiology
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Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hemodynamics
Hemodynamics. Rheology
Male
Mesentery - blood supply
Microcirculation - physiology
Models, Biological
Pressure
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Regional Blood Flow - physiology
Venules - physiology
Vertebrates: cardiovascular system
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Summary:Hemodynamic parameters were determined in each vessel segment of six complete microvascular networks in the rat mesentery by using a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical simulations.For a total number of 2592 segments, a strong unified dependence of wall shear stress on intravascular pressure for arterioles, capillaries, and venules was obtained. All three types of segments exhibit an essentially identical variation of shear stress from high to low values (from approximate equal 100 to 10 dyne/cm) as intravascular pressure falls from 70 to 15 mm Hg. On the basis of these observations, it is proposed that vascular beds grow and adapt so as to maintain the shear stress in each vessel at a level that depends on local transmural pressure. In contrast to Murray's classic `minimum-cost' hypothesis, which implies uniformity of wall shear rate throughout the vasculature, the proposed design principle provides an explanation for the functionally important arteriovenous asymmetry of wall shear rates and flow resistance in the circulation.(Circ Res. 1995;77:1017-1023.)
ISSN:0009-7330
1524-4571
DOI:10.1161/01.RES.77.5.1017