Numerical predictions of shear stress and cyclic stretch in the healthy pulmonary vasculature

TL;DR

This study uses computational fluid dynamics to quantitatively analyze shear stress and cyclic stretch in the pulmonary vasculature, providing insights into mechanical forces that may influence pulmonary hypertension progression.

Contribution

It is the first to model and predict mechanical forces like shear stress and cyclic stretch in the entire pulmonary vasculature, including microvasculature, using a comprehensive CFD approach.

Findings

Shear stress increases with flow and pressure in large vessels.

Shear stress increases as vessel radius decreases in microvasculature.

Microvasculature experiences higher shear stress and lower flow in smaller vessels.

Abstract

Isolated post-capillary pulmonary hypertension (Ipc-PH) occurs due to left heart failure, which contributes to 1 out of every 9 deaths in the United States. In some patients, through unknown mechanisms, Ipc-PH transitions to combined pre-/post-capillary PH (Cpc-PH), diagnosed by an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and associated with a dramatic increase in mortality. We hypothesize that altered mechanical forces and subsequent vasoactive signaling in the pulmonary capillary bed drive the transition from Ipc-PH to Cpc-PH. However, even in a healthy pulmonary circulation, the mechanical forces in the smallest vessels (the arterioles, venules, and capillary bed) have not been quantitatively defined. This study is the first to examine this question via a computational fluid dynamics model of the human pulmonary arteries, veins, arterioles, and venules. Using this model we predict temporal and spatial dynamics of cyclic stretch and wall shear stress. In the large vessels, numerical simulations show that shear stress increases coincides with larger flow and pressure. In the microvasculature, we found that as vessel radius decreases, shear stress increases and flow decreases. In arterioles, this corresponds with lower pressures; however, the venules and smaller veins have higher pressure than larger veins. Our model provides predictions for pressure, flow, shear stress, and cyclic stretch that provides a way to analyze and investigate hypotheses related to disease progression in the pulmonary circulation.