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Description
The physiological behaviour of the cardiovascular system is highly affected by the mechanical response of arterial segments, that is in turn dependent from both tissue histological architecture and the contractile tone of smooth muscle cells. This work presents a comprehensive multi-scale and multi-field computational framework that accounts for: i) a lumped 1D description of the arterial vascular tree network; ii) a continuum 3D model at the microscale of the local chemo-mechano-biological response of arterial tissues, accounting for both passive and active tissue behavior; iii) biochemical-dependent vasoconstriction and vasodilation mechanisms, like those induced by baroreflex and the NO-ROS-PN biochemical chain. Two-way coupling is considered: simulations from 3D chemo-mechano-biological models drive how parameters of the lumped description vary as a function of segment dilation, tissue histology, or vasoconstriction; local variations of properties of key vessel segments affect global cardiovascular functions. The applicative case study investigates the role of vasodilation and vasoconstriction in carotid and cerebral arteries as a protective mechanism against changes in blood flow in the brain through the circle of Willis. Healthy homeostatic states are first reproduced and discussed, and pathological conditions are then analyzed.
