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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
In Vitro 3D Cell-Cultured Arterial Models for Studying Vascular Drug Targeting Under Flow
Published on: March 14, 2021
A model system for mapping vascular responses to complex hemodynamics at arterial bifurcations in vivo
Hui Meng1, Daniel D Swartz, Zhijie Wang
1Department of Neurosurgery, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA. huimeng@buffalo.edu
Objective:
Cerebral aneurysms are preferentially located at arterial bifurcation apices with complex hemodynamics. To understand disease mechanisms associated with aneurysm initiation, we attempted to establish a causal relationship between local hemodynamics and vascular responses.
Methods:
Arterial bifurcations were surgically created from native common carotid arteries in two dogs, angiographically imaged 2 weeks and 2 months later, and then excised. We characterized local morphological changes in response to specifically manipulated hemodynamics. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed on the in vivo images and results mapped onto histological images.
Results:
Local flow conditions, such as high wall shear stress and high wall shear stress gradient, were found to be associated with vascular changes, including an intimal pad in the flow impingement region and a "groove" bearing the characteristics of an early aneurysm.
Conclusion:
This novel method of histohemodynamic micromapping reveals a direct correlation between an altered hemodynamic microenvironment and vascular responses consistent with aneurysm development.
