Dynamic myogenic autoregulation in the rat kidney: a whole-organ model

A transient 1D mathematical model of whole-organ renal autoregulation in the rat is presented, examining the myogenic response on multiple levels of the renal vasculature. Morphological data derived from micro-CT imaging were employed to divide the vasculature via a Strahler ordering scheme. A previously published model of the myogenic response based on wall tension is expanded and adapted to fit the response of each level, corresponding to a distally dominant resistance distribution with the highest contributions localized to the afferent arterioles and interlobular arteries. The mathematical model was further developed to include the effects of in vivo viscosity variation and flow-induced dilation via endothelial nitric oxide production. Computer simulations of the autoregulatory response to pressure perturbations were examined and compared with experimental data. The model supports the hypothesis that change in circumferential wall tension is the catalyst for the myogenic response. The model provides a basis for examining the steady state and transient characteristics of the whole-organ renal myogenic response in the rat, as well as the modulatory influences of metabolic and hemodynamic factors.