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Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol (August 22, 2008). doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00262.2008
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Submitted on March 11, 2008
Revised on July 17, 2008
Accepted on August 20, 2008

Theoretical model of blood flow autoregulation: Roles of myogenic, shear-dependent and metabolic responses

Brian E. Carlson1, Julia C. Arciero2, and Timothy W. Secomb2*

1 Medical College of Wisconsin
2 University of Arizona

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: secomb{at}u.arizona.edu.

Autoregulation of blood flow, the maintenance of almost constant blood flow in the face of variations in arterial pressure, is characteristic of many tissue types. Here, contributions to autoregulation of pressure-dependent, shear stress-dependent and metabolic vasoactive responses are analyzed using a theoretical model. Seven segments, connected in series, represent classes of vessels: arteries, large arterioles, small arterioles, capillaries, small venules, large venules and veins. The large and small arterioles respond actively to local changes in pressure and wall shear stress and to downstream metabolic state communicated via conducted responses. All other segments are considered fixed resistances. The myogenic, shear-dependent and metabolic responses of the arteriolar segments are represented by a theoretical model based on experimental data from isolated vessels. To assess autoregulation, the predicted flow at an arterial pressure of 130 mmHg is compared to that at 80 mmHg. If the degree of vascular smooth muscle activation is held constant at 0.5, there is a five-fold increase in blood flow. When myogenic variation of tone is included, flow increases by a factor of 1.66 over the same pressure range, indicating weak autoregulation. Inclusion of both myogenic and shear-dependent responses results in an increase in flow by a factor of 2.43. A further addition of the metabolic response produces strong autoregulation with flow increasing by a factor of 1.18 and gives results consistent with experimental observation. The model results indicate that the combined effects of myogenic and metabolic regulation overcome the vasodilatory effect of the shear response and lead to autoregulation of blood flow.




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J. C. Arciero, B. E. Carlson, and T. W. Secomb
Theoretical model of metabolic blood flow regulation: roles of ATP release by red blood cells and conducted responses
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 2008; 295(4): H1562 - H1571.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




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