Modeling cerebrovascular responses to assess the impact of the collateral circulation following middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Objective: An improved understanding of the role of the leptomeningeal collateral circulation in blood flow compensation following middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion can contribute to more effective treatment development for ischemic stroke. The present study introduces a model of the cerebral circulation to predict cerebral blood flow and tissue oxygenation following MCA occlusion.

Methods: The model incorporates flow regulation mechanisms based on changes in pressure, shear stress, and metabolic demand.

Modeling acute and chronic vascular responses to a major arterial occlusion.

Objective: To incorporate chronic vascular adaptations into a mathematical model of the rat hindlimb to simulate flow restoration following total occlusion of the femoral artery.

Methods: A vascular wall mechanics model is used to simulate acute and chronic vascular adaptations in the collateral arteries and collateral-dependent arterioles of the rat hindlimb. On an acute timeframe, the vascular tone of collateral arteries and distal arterioles is determined by responses to pressure, shear stress, and metabolic demand.

A STAT3 inhibitor ameliorates CNS autoimmunity by restoring Teff:Treg balance.

Reestablishing an appropriate balance between T effector cells (Teff) and Tregs is essential for correcting autoimmunity. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated chronic CNS disease characterized by neuroinflammation, demyelination, and neuronal degeneration, in which the Teff:Treg balance is skewed toward pathogenic Teffs Th1 and Th17 cells. STAT3 is a key regulator of Teff:Treg balance.

Modeling acute blood flow responses to a major arterial occlusion.

Objective: The development of earlier and less invasive treatments for peripheral arterial disease requires a more complete understanding of vascular responses following a major arterial occlusion. A mechanistic model of the vasculature of the rat hindlimb is developed to predict acute (immediate) changes in vessel diameters and smooth muscle tone following femoral arterial occlusion.

Methods: Vascular responses of collateral arteries and distal arterioles to changes in pressure, shear stress, and metabolism are assessed before and after occlusion.