Sy. Lee et Gw. Schmidschonbein, BIOMECHANICAL MODEL FOR THE MYOGENIC RESPONSE IN THE MICROCIRCULATION.1. FORMULATION AND INITIAL TESTING, Journal of biomechanical engineering, 118(2), 1996, pp. 145-151
The pressure dependent or myogenic contraction of arterioles is one of
the most fundamental control mechanisms of microvascular perfusion. W
hile many experimental observations have been obtained on the myogenic
response, no generally accepted biomechanical model has been formulat
ed. A novel biomechanical theory is proposed based on two fundamental
assumptions: the arteriolar wall exhibits viscoelastic properties befo
re and during myogenic contractions, and the contraction is achieved b
y a pressure dependent change of reference length. The formulation of
the model and its application to different experimental procedures on
microvascular smooth muscle in the literature is presented. The model
describes closely a broad spectrum of steady and unsteady pressure dep
endent diameter variations of arterioles under a pressure dependent st
imulus.