Computational analysis of the role of mechanosensitive Notch signaling in arterial adaptation to hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Arteries grow and remodel in response to mechanical stimuli. Hypertension, for example, results in arterial wall thickening. Cell-cell Notch signaling between vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is known to be involved in this process, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we investigated whether Notch mechanosensitivity to strain may regulate arterial thickening in hypertension. We developed a multiscale computational framework by coupling a finite element model of arterial mechanics, including residual stress, to an agent-based model of mechanosensitive Notch signaling, to predict VSMC phenotypes as an indicator of growth and remodeling. Our simulations revealed that the sensitivity of Notch to strain at mean blood pressure may be a key mediator of arterial thickening i

SUBMITTER: van Asten JGM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7613661 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature