Implementation and validation of aortic remodeling in hypertensive rats

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Biology
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Hypertension causes significant changes in artery structure and function.
• Understanding arterial remodeling is crucial for managing cardiovascular diseases.
• Existing models may not fully capture the complex interplay of geometric and material changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computational framework for simulating hypertensive arterial remodeling.
• To integrate stress-modulated remodeling equations into finite element analysis.
• To investigate the heterogeneous remodeling process in arteries under hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of stress-modulated remodeling equations within commercial finite element codes.
• Utilizing adaptive material remodeling and element birth/death techniques for geometric growth.
• Validation against experimental data from a rat model and application to a 3D artery model.

Main Results:

• The model successfully captured and visualized arterial thickening and stiffening.
• Numerically predicted remodeling parameters (wall thickness, inner diameter, elastin/collagen ratio) were validated with experimental data.
• Hypertension-induced arterial remodeling was shown to be heterogeneous due to nonlinear geometric and material adaptations.

Conclusions:

• The developed computational model provides enhanced insights into arterial morphology and material evolution.
• This framework can complement experimental data for improved hypertension clinical management.
• The model has potential applications in studying other stress-driven tissue remodeling, such as in-stent restenosis and grafting.