Model and verification of the NO distribution in curved blood vessel

Curved blood vessels are the high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The asymmetric nitric oxide (NO) distribution in blood vessels may maintain or regulate the curvature of blood vessels. To understand the distribution feature of nitric oxide in curved blood vessels, 3-D models were established to predict the distribution of NO in curved vessels. Animal experiments were also executed in vitro to verify the NO distribution. Simulation results show that the distribution of nitric oxide in the curved blood vessel is not uniform. The distribution of NO is different between the inner and outer sides of curved blood vessels. Immunohistochemical results showed that eNOS was mainly expressed in the vascular endothelium, and eNOS at the outside of the bend was significantly more than that at the inner side. This study is expected to open up new translational research to address vascular disease risk assessment and treatment.