DIFFUSIVE TRANSPORT OF MACROMOLECULES ACROSS THE ARTERIAL-WALL

A mathematical model of diffusive transport of macromolecules across t he arterial wall was developed in order to analyze the enhancement of molecular transport into the media in the presence of the endothelial injuries. The model is based on the continuum description of the distr ibution of macromolecules in the arterial wall with multiple injuries periodically dispersed on the endothelial surface. a boundary element method is successfully employed to model the problem geometry along wi th the relevant boundary conditions. The concentration and surfacer fl ux are computed for various physical conditions of the artery. Among o ther factors, the proper estimation of the-mass transfer resistance, c haracterized by the Blot number, of the endothelial surface is crucial for the analysis. In addition the curvature effecter are negligible w hen the vessel radius is larger than 10 times the wall thickness.