MODELING INTERSTITIAL FLOW IN AN ARTERY WALL ALLOWS ESTIMATION OF WALL SHEAR-STRESS ON SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

The arterial media is modeled as a periodic array of cylindrical smoot h muscle cells residing in a matrix comprised of proteoglycan and coll agen fibers. Using Brinkman's model to describe transmural flow throug h such a fibrous media, we calculate the effective hydraulic permeabil ity of the media and the wall shear stress on smooth muscle cells. Two interesting results ave obtained: first, the wall shear stress on smo oth muscle cells is on the order of 1 dyne/cm(2), which is in the rang e known to affect endothelial cells in vitro; second, the flow resista nce due to smooth muscle cells is not negligible compared to the resis tance due to the fiber matrix.