Arterial pressure fractality is highly dependent on wave reflection.

Unlabelled: Wave reflection is an important factor that influences pressure wave morphology and becomes more significant with aging, when cardiovascular risk increases. A pressure wave, measured at any location in the arterial tree, can be decomposed into its forward and backward components and depends on the corresponding amplitude and shifting time delays. Fractal dimension (FD) quantifies the time series complexity defined by its geometrical representation.

Long-term effects of growth hormone on infarct size and left ventricular function in sheep with coronary artery occlusion.

The effects of growth hormone (GH) on infarct size and left ventricular (LV) function in experimental acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been controversial. Moreover, little, if any, information exists regarding long-term evaluation of therapeutic doses of GH in large mammalian models of AMI. We therefore aimed to assess the effect of therapeutic doses of GH over 3.

Assessment of pulsatile wall shear stress in compliant arteries: numerical model, validation and experimental data.

There is evidence that wall shear stress (WSS) is associated with vascular disease. In particular, it is widely accepted that vascular segments with low or oscillatory values of WSS are more probable to develop vascular disease. It is then necessary to establish a realistic model of the blood flow in blood vessels in order to determine precisely WSS.

Smart damping modulation of carotid wall energetics in human hypertension: effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition.

Damping is the conversion of mechanical energy of a structure into thermal energy, and it is related to the material viscous behavior. To evaluate the role of damping in the common carotid artery (CCA) wall in human hypertension and the possible improvement of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, we used noninvasive CCA pressure (tonometry) and diameter (B-mode echography) waveforms in normotensive subjects (NT group; n=12) and in hypertensive patients (HT group; n=22) single-blind randomized into HT-placebo (n=10) or HT-treated (ramipril, 5 to 10 mg/d during 3 months; n=12). Vascular smooth muscle (VSM) null tonus condition was achieved from in vitro pressure and diameter waveforms (Konigsberg microtransducer and sonomicrometry) measured in explanted human CCA (n=14).

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle activation attenuates arterial dysfunction during acute pulmonary hypertension.

Acute pulmonary hypertension (PH) may arise with or without an increase in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) tone. Our objective was to determine how VSM activation affects both the conduit (CF) and wall buffering (BF) functions of the pulmonary artery (PA) during acute PH states. PA instantaneous flow, pressure, and diameter of six sheep were recorded during normal pressure (CTL) and different states of acute PH: 1) passively induced by PA mechanical occlusion (PPH); 2) actively induced by intravenous administration of phenylephrine (APH); and 3) a combination of both (APPH).

Contribution of myocardium hydraulic skeleton to left ventricular wall interaction and synergy in dogs.

The most premature motion change after coronary occlusion is early diastolic thinning of the ischemic left ventricular (LV) wall, with concomitant thickening of the normoperfused wall. We aimed 1). to demonstrate that these early changes are the result of the absence of fluid within the ischemic myocardium (hydraulic skeleton) rather than to cell anoxia and 2).