Mechanical Models of Vessel Walls

We know from studies of hypertensive animals that blockage of fluid flow in the arterial system not only increases blood pressure but leads to vessel dilation and increases in wall thickness. There appears to be a direct relationship between external (increased blood pressure) mechanical stimulation and up-regulation of mechanochemical transduction processes by increasing the tensile loads that are placed on collagen fibers. This increase in external mechanical stimulation is then directly transferred to smooth muscle cells within the vessel wall. Increased tensile forces lead to increased activation of MAPK pathways as discussed in Chapter 9. We now have the beginning information that details how external mechanical loading influences tissue growth and development. 

Mosler E, Folkhard W, Knorzer E, Nemetschek-Gansler H, Nemetschek Th, Koch MH. Stress-induced molecular arrangement in tendon collagen. J. Mol. Biol 1985 182 589-596. 

Silver FH. Mechanical properties of connective tissue. In Biological Materials Structure, Mechanical Properties, and Modeling of Soft Tissues. New York NYU Press Chapter 7.1987. 

Silver FH, Christiansen DL, Buntin CM. Mechanical properties of aorta A review. Crit Rev Biomed Eng 1989 17 323. 

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