Fluid-structure interaction simulations of hemodynamics in mice: applications to hypertension research

Motivation Arterial stiffening is both cause and consequence of hypertension,currently the main cause of death in Europe. Hemodynamic metrics such as central pulse pressure (cPP) and pulse wave velocity, which can be non invasively measured, are now known as important predictive factors of diseases and diseases susceptibility. Computational Fluid Dymanic techniques enable an accurate representation of hemodynamics in the central arteries, hence providing a non-invasive estimate of the time varying pressure and flow. These techniques, combined with experimental and imaging data are fundamental in understanding the correlation between arterial stiffness and hemodynamics. Computational simulations can provide improved interpretations of clinically measurable metrics of pulse wave velocity and even identify new metrics based on pressure waveform analysis. The objective of this work is to validate a new computational biomechanical fluid-solid interaction tool in a mouse model. This tool employs a Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) technique to represent the deformability of the wall vessel which is fundamental to capture pulse pressure propagation. It also uses a multi-domain method to include the impact of distal vasculatures in the aortic geometry, as it well known that distal vessels have a remarkable influence on the hemodynamics of the central arteries. Methods We set out to search reliable flow, pressure and geometrical data in mice to use both as input data and as results validation. In vivo measurements in mice are challenging due to the small dimension of the body and the fast