Regulation of the glucose supply from capillary to tissue examined by developing a capillary model.

A new glucose transport model relying upon diffusion and convection across the capillary membrane was developed, and supplemented with tissue space and lymph flow. The rate of glucose utilization (J ) in the tissue space was described as a saturation function of glucose concentration in the interstitial fluid (C ), and was varied by applying a scaling factor f to J . With f = 0, the glucose diffusion ceased within ~20 min.

Mechanisms underlying the volume regulation of interstitial fluid by capillaries: a simulation study.

Background: Control of the extracellular fluid volume is one of the most indispensable issues for homeostasis of the internal milieu. However, complex interdependence of the pressures involved in determination of fluid exchange makes it difficult to predict a steady-state tissue volume under various physiological conditions without mathematical approaches.

Methods: Here, we developed a capillary model based on the Starling's principle, which allowed us to clarify the mechanisms of the interstitial-fluid volume regulation.