Endothelial morphology in an anatomically realistic, dynamic, in vitro human right coronary artery cell culture model

The sensitivity of the vascular endothelium to wall shear stress plays a central role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. While current studies investigate endothelial response using idealized in vitro flow chambers, such cell culture models are unable to accurately replicate the complex in vivo wall shear stress patterns arising from anatomical geometries. In this study we have created both a simplified/tubular and an anatomically realistic model of the human right coronary artery. Following endothelial cell culture, and the application of steady flow, cell morphology was analyzed. In both models a progressive elongation and alignment of the endothelium in the flow direction was observed following 8, 12, and 24 hours. This change, however, was significantly less pronounced in the anatomical model (as observed from morphological variations indicative of localized flow features). Differences were also observed between the inner and outer walls at the disease-prone inlet region. Since morphological adaptation is a visual indication of endothelial shear stress activation, the use of anatomical models in endothelial genetic and biochemical studies may offer better insight into the disease process