Involvement of Cell Coupling in Vascular Function: Development of a Computational Model

Rapid intercellular communication through gap junctions enables the production of coordinated multicellular responses, such as the cardiac rhythm. The present proposal will investigate the fundamental role of such intercellular communication in the ability of arterial networks to alter blood flow to match the metabolic demands of tissues and organs. We will use a multidisciplinary experimental approach to determine the active and passive electrical properties and cellular structure of arterioles in order to develop a computational model of the vascular wall. Such an analysis of current flow in a multicellular tissue will have widespread application to the transfer of electrical information within numerous organs in the body.