Low-density lipoprotein transport through an arterial wall under hypertension - A model with time and pressure dependent fraction of leaky junction consistent with experiments

Abstract

The influence of hypertension on low-density lipoproteins intake into the arterial wall is an important factor for understanding mechanisms of atherosclerosis. It has been experimentally observed that the increased pressure leads to the higher level of the LDL inside the wall. In this paper we attempt to construct a model of the LDL transport which reproduces quantitatively experimental outcomes. We supplement the well-known four-layer arterial wall model to include two pressure induced effects: the compression of the intima tissue and the increase of the fraction of leaky junctions. We demonstrate that such model can reach the very good agreement with experimental data.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Computational fluid dynamics; Four-layer model of the arterial wall; Hypertension; Low density lipoprotein.