System and Method for Investigating Arterial Remodeling

Organ culture systems are used to study remodeling of arteries and to fabricate tissue engineered vascular grafts. Investigations to date focused on changes in geometry and mechanical response of arteries or constructs associated with controlled sustained alterations in the global load parameters such as the arterial pressure, flow, or axial stretch. A new experimental paradigm is proposed, which is based on the simultaneous independent control of local mechanical parameters such as mean strain or stress in the arterial wall and flow-induced shear at the intima. An organ culture system and methodology were developed, which controls pressure, flow, and axial length of a specimen in order to maintain the local mechanical parameters at prescribed values. The operation of the system is illustrated by maintenance of elevated axial medial stress in porcine carotid artery, while keeping the mean circumferential stress and flow-induced shear stress at baseline values. Previously unknown aspects of remodeling that might be revealed by the novel approach are discussed.