Experimental Technique of Measuring Dynamic Fluid Shear Stress on the Aortic Surface of the Aortic Valve Leaflet

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Choon Hwai Yap ◽  
Neelakantan Saikrishnan ◽  
Gowthami Tamilselvan ◽  
Ajit P. Yoganathan

Aortic valve (AV) calcification is a highly prevalent disease with serious impact on mortality and morbidity. The exact cause and mechanism of the progression of AV calcification is unknown, although mechanical forces have been known to play a role. It is thus important to characterize the mechanical environment of the AV. In the current study, we establish a methodology of measuring shear stresses experienced by the aortic surface of the AV leaflets using an in vitro valve model and adapting the laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) technique. The valve model was constructed from a fresh porcine aortic valve, which was trimmed and sutured onto a plastic stented ring, and inserted into an idealized three-lobed sinus acrylic chamber. Valve leaflet location was measured by obtaining the location of highest back-scattered LDV laser light intensity. The technique of performing LDV measurements near to biological surfaces as well as the leaflet locating technique was first validated in two phantom flow systems: (1) steady flow within a straight tube with AV leaflet adhered to the wall, and (2) steady flow within the actual valve model. Dynamic shear stresses were then obtained by applying the techniques on the valve model in a physiologic pulsatile flow loop. Results show that aortic surface shear stresses are low during early systole (<5dyn/cm2) but elevated to its peak during mid to late systole at about 18–20 dyn/cm2. Low magnitude shear stress (<5dyn/cm2) was observed during early diastole and dissipated to zero over the diastolic duration. Systolic shear stress was observed to elevate only with the formation of sinus vortex flow. The presented technique can also be used on other in vitro valve models such as congenitally geometrically malformed valves, or to investigate effects of hemodynamics on valve shear stress. Shear stress data can be used for further experiments investigating effects of fluid shear stress on valve biology, for conditioning tissue engineered AV, and to validate numerical simulations.

Blood ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1366-1374 ◽  
Author(s):  
JL Moake ◽  
NA Turner ◽  
NA Stathopoulos ◽  
L Nolasco ◽  
JD Hellums

Abstract Fluid shear stress in arteries and arterioles partially obstructed by atherosclerosis or spasm may exceed the normal time-average level of 20 dyne/cm2. In vitro, at fluid shear stresses of 30 to 60 dyne/cm2 applied for 30 seconds, platelet aggregation occurs. At these shear stresses, either large or unusually large von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimers in the suspending fluid exogenous to the platelets mediates aggregation. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is also required and, in these experiments, was released from the platelets subjected to shear stress. At 120 dyne/cm2, the release of endogenous platelet vWF multimers can substitute for exogenous large or unusually large vWF forms in mediating aggregation. Endogenous released platelet vWF forms, as well as exogenous large or unusually large vWF multimers, must bind to both glycoproteins Ib and the IIb/IIIa complex to produce aggregation. Shear- induced aggregation is the result of shear stress alteration of platelet surfaces, rather than of shear effects on vWF multimers. It is mediated by either large plasma-type vWF multimers, endogenous released platelet vWF forms, or unusually large vWF multimers derived from endothelial cells, requires ADP, and is not inhibited significantly by aspirin. This type of aggregation may be important in platelet thrombus formation within narrowed arterial vessels, and may explain the limited therapeutic utility of aspirin in arterial thrombosis.


Author(s):  
Choon Hwai Yap ◽  
Neelakantan Saikrishnan ◽  
Gowthami Tamilselvan ◽  
Ajit P. Yoganathan

Aortic valve calcification is a degenerative disease with high prevalence, especially amongst the elderly, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Ex vivo experiments has shown that aortic valve leaflets are sensitive to their mechanical environment in a magnitude dependent manner. Fluid shear stresses, specifically, has been shown to affect inflammatory and remodeling responses relevant to aortic valve calcification [1,2]. Consequently, it has been proposed that the phenomenon of diseased calcium nodules developing exclusively on the aortic surface as opposed to the ventricular surface is due to the exposure of the aortic surface to disturbed shear stresses, whereas undisturbed shear stresses on the ventricular surface do not trigger calcification [3,4]. Additionally, it has been observed that the non-coronary leaflet of the AV is more susceptible to calcification, which is hypothesized to be due to reduced shear stresses from the lack of diastolic coronary flow [5].


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 171-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choon Hwai Yap ◽  
Neelakantan Saikrishnan ◽  
Gowthami Tamilselvan ◽  
Ajit P. Yoganathan

Author(s):  
Swetha Rathan ◽  
Choon Hwai Yap ◽  
Elizabeth Morris ◽  
Sivakkumar Arjunon ◽  
Hanjoong Jo ◽  
...  

Aortic Valve (AV) calcification is a degenerative disease that results in AV sclerosis and is one of the major causes of death. AV is subjected to mechanical conditions such as fluid shear stress, transvalvular pressure and membrane tension1. Normal hemodynamic conditions constantly renew and remodel the valve, whereas altered mechanical loading has been implicated to be the cause of AV disease2. Studies have shown that adverse hemodynamics such as hypertension and altered shear stress can cause tissue inflammation that leads to calcification and stenosis3, 4, and ultimately result in valve failure. However, the molecular and cellular processes that lead to calcification are not very well understood.


Author(s):  
D. E. J. Anderson ◽  
J. J. Glynn ◽  
M. T. Hinds

Endothelialization of vascular graft materials is a promising approach for improving the in vivo performance of vascular grafts, particularly for small diameter applications of less than 4 mm. The ability to incorporate a native endothelium onto a graft may reduce the thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia that limits long-term clinical success of these small diameter grafts. Endothelial outgrowth cells (EOCs), which are isolated from whole blood and expand rapidly in vitro, provide an autologous cell source capable of developing into a biologically active endothelial layer. A preconditioning step may enhance EOCs’ performance on vascular grafts. Mature endothelial cells, isolated from vascular walls, are known to decrease expression of pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory markers when exposed to steady fluid shear stress, compared to cells under disturbed flow conditions or static culture. This study examined the hypothesis that steady flow preconditioning of EOCs reduces their in vitro markers of thrombosis and inflammation, reduces platelet and fibrin accumulation on EOC–coated ePTFE grafts in an ex vivo shunt, and reduces initial hyperplasia on EOC–coated ePTFE grafts in an in vivo graft implant. This work was performed using well-established, non-human primate models for testing EOC-coated ePTFE grafts ex vivo and in vivo. These conditions represent a clinically-relevant cell source and biomaterial for determining the effects of fluid shear stress preconditioning on graft performance.


Blood ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1366-1374 ◽  
Author(s):  
JL Moake ◽  
NA Turner ◽  
NA Stathopoulos ◽  
L Nolasco ◽  
JD Hellums

Fluid shear stress in arteries and arterioles partially obstructed by atherosclerosis or spasm may exceed the normal time-average level of 20 dyne/cm2. In vitro, at fluid shear stresses of 30 to 60 dyne/cm2 applied for 30 seconds, platelet aggregation occurs. At these shear stresses, either large or unusually large von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimers in the suspending fluid exogenous to the platelets mediates aggregation. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is also required and, in these experiments, was released from the platelets subjected to shear stress. At 120 dyne/cm2, the release of endogenous platelet vWF multimers can substitute for exogenous large or unusually large vWF forms in mediating aggregation. Endogenous released platelet vWF forms, as well as exogenous large or unusually large vWF multimers, must bind to both glycoproteins Ib and the IIb/IIIa complex to produce aggregation. Shear- induced aggregation is the result of shear stress alteration of platelet surfaces, rather than of shear effects on vWF multimers. It is mediated by either large plasma-type vWF multimers, endogenous released platelet vWF forms, or unusually large vWF multimers derived from endothelial cells, requires ADP, and is not inhibited significantly by aspirin. This type of aggregation may be important in platelet thrombus formation within narrowed arterial vessels, and may explain the limited therapeutic utility of aspirin in arterial thrombosis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 1849-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Nauman ◽  
R. L. Satcher ◽  
T. M. Keaveny ◽  
B. P. Halloran ◽  
D. D. Bikle

Although there is no consensus as to the precise nature of the mechanostimulatory signals imparted to the bone cells during remodeling, it has been postulated that deformation-induced fluid flow plays a role in the mechanotransduction pathway. In vitro, osteoblasts respond to fluid shear stress with an increase in PGE2production; however, the long-term effects of fluid shear stress on cell proliferation and differentiation have not been examined. The goal of this study was to apply continuous pulsatile fluid shear stresses to osteoblasts and determine whether the initial production of PGE2 is associated with long-term biochemical changes. The acute response of bone cells to a pulsatile fluid shear stress (0.6 ± 0.5 Pa, 3.0 Hz) was characterized by a transient fourfold increase in PGE2 production. After 7 days of static culture (0 dyn/cm2) or low (0.06 ± 0.05 Pa, 0.3 Hz) or high (0.6 ± 0.5 Pa, 3.0 Hz) levels of pulsatile fluid shear stress, the bone cells responded with an 83% average increase in cell number, but no statistical difference ( P > 0.53) between the groups was observed. Alkaline phosphatase activity per cell decreased in the static cultures but not in the low- or high-flow groups. Mineralization was also unaffected by the different levels of applied shear stress. Our results indicate that short-term changes in PGE2 levels caused by pulsatile fluid flow are not associated with long-term changes in proliferation or mineralization of bone cells.


1986 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 2114-2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Davies ◽  
A. Remuzzi ◽  
E. J. Gordon ◽  
C. F. Dewey ◽  
M. A. Gimbrone

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Brendan Smith ◽  
Alessandro Marco De Nunzio ◽  
Kamlesh Patel ◽  
Haydn Munford ◽  
Tabeer Alam ◽  
...  

Fluid shear stress is a key modulator of cellular physiology in vitro and in vivo, but its effects are under-investigated due to requirements for complicated induction methods. Herein we report the validation of ShearFAST; a smartphone application that measures the rocking profile on a standard laboratory cell rocker and calculates the resulting shear stress arising in tissue culture plates. The accuracy with which this novel approach measured rocking profiles was validated against a graphical analysis, and also against measures reported by an 8-camera motion tracking system. ShearFASTs angle assessments correlated well with both analyses (r ≥0.99, p ≤0.001) with no significant differences in pitch detected across the range of rocking angles tested. Rocking frequency assessment by ShearFAST also correlated well when compared to the two independent validatory techniques (r ≥0.99, p ≤0.0001), with excellent reproducibility between ShearFAST and video analysis (mean frequency measurement difference of 0.006 ± 0.005Hz) and motion capture analysis (mean frequency measurement difference of 0.008 ± 0.012Hz). These data make the ShearFAST assisted cell rocker model make it an attractive approach for economical, high throughput fluid shear stress experiments. Proof of concept data presented reveals a protective effect of low-level shear stress on renal proximal tubule cells submitted to simulations of pretransplant storage.


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