Factors influencing arterial wall mass transport

Issue title: Special Double Issue for the Fifth International Congress of Biorheology. Dedicated to Hellmut Hartert. Baden-Baden, F.R. Germany, 20–24 August 1983

Guest editors: Alfred L. Copley

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Caro, C.G. | Lever, M.J.

Affiliations: Physiological Flow Studies Unit, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, England

Abstract: Arterial wall mass transport has particularly attracted attention because it may be implicated in the development of arterial disease, including arteriosclerosis. A short review is presented of the structure of the arterial wall and of studies of mass transport within it. Recent findings confirm that mass transport occurs across the entire arterial wall apparently from the lumen to the adventitial lymphatics. Evidence has emerged of inhomogeneity of the distribution volume for extracellular tracers in different layers of the wall. An attempt is made to interpret results which indicate that distension per se of arteries and increase of medial smooth muscle tone tend to compact the medial interstitium whereas pressure driven convection across the wall tends to expand that tissue. These findings imply a potentially important role of endothelial permeability, smooth muscle tone and luminal pressure in influencing solute transport in the wall and wall transport properties.

Keywords: arterial wall mass transport, arterial haemodynamics, arterial interstitium

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1984-211-222

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 21, no. 1-2, pp. 197-205, 1984