Computational models promise to aid in the interpretation of the coupled interactions between evolving wall geometry, structure, material properties and hemodynamics seen in arterial adaptations. Motivated by recent aortic coarctation models in animals, we used a computational fluid-solid-interaction model to study possible local and systemic effects on the hemodynamics within the thoracic aort...

It is difficult to insert a flexible endoscope deep into the small intestine. A new method, double-balloon enteroscopy, has been developed to improve access to the small intestine, and the aim of this study was to evaluate its usefulness for examination of the small intestine of dogs. The method uses two balloons, one attached to the tip of the endoscope and another attached to the tip of an ov...

Studies of arterial elasticity in patients with heart failure (HF) have produced varying results. In addition, the direct effects of smooth muscle relaxation on arterial wall mechanics in these patients have not been well characterized. Nineteen patients with New York Heart Association class II to IV HF and 17 age- and size-matched normal subjects were studied by using a recently validated tech...

Segmentation of arterial wall boundaries from intravascular images is an important problem for many applications in study of plaque characteristics, mechanical properties of the arterial wall, its 3D reconstruction, and its measurements such as lumen size, lumen radius, and wall radius. We present a shape-driven approach to segmentation of the arterial wall from intravascular ultrasound images ...

The relation between left ventricular wall thickness and mass, arterial plasma catecholamines, and blood pressure at rest and during a mental arithmetic challenge and a cold pressor test was examined in 69 healthy men 19 years of age. The subjects were recruited from the 1st (n = 21), 50th (n = 26), and 99th (n = 22) percentiles in mean blood pressure. All underwent echocardiography to determin...

The accumulation of advanced glycosylation end-products (AGEs) on collagen and the subsequent stiffening of this matrix protein in diabetes has been described many years ago. Structural modification of collagen in the arterial wall might have important effects on arterial elasticity. Aminoguanidine is known to decrease the formation of AGEs. In this study we evaluated the effects of aminoguanid...

Background. Compliance mismatch is a negative factor and it needs to be considered in arterial bypass grafting. Objective. A computational model was employed to investigate the effects of arterial compliance mismatch on blood flow, wall stress, and deformation. Methods. The unsteady blood flow was assumed to be laminar, Newtonian, viscous, and incompressible. The vessel wall was assumed to be l...

Background and Purpose The relation between arterial wall (intimal-medial) thickness and lumen narrowing is complex and has previously been studied predominantly at autopsy. B-mode ultrasound affords the opportunity to visualize both wall and lumen of the extracranial carotid arteries in vivo. Several studies have quantified the relation of various independent variables to wall thickness of car...

Evidences have shown the presence of multipotent stem cells (SCs) at sites of arterial aneurysms: they can differentiate into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and are activated after residing in a quiescent state in the vascular wall. Recent studies have implicated the role of matrix metalloproteinases in the pathogenesis of arterial aneurysms: in fact the increased synthesis of MMPs by arterial SMCs...