Stepwise generation of large semi-realistic microvascular networks based on incomplete experimental data.

(A) Experimentally acquired reconstruction of surface artery (SA) network from a mouse with LMCs (network C57BL/6I). The MCA and ACA sided SAs are fed by the respective main feeding arteries, and are connected by LMCs (yellow squares) across the watershed line (wsl). The numbers refer to diameter and RBC velocity measurements obtained in individual SAs (S1 Table). Red dots are used to mark the locations of descending artery (DA) root points. For the reconstructions and measurements of the other three networks, refer to S9 Fig, and S24, S25 and S26 Tables, respectively. (B) Network representing SAs. The original topology is shown with red lines and the additionally added SAs to connect the sampled DA roots (orange dots) are indicated by orange lines. Furthermore, ascending vein (AV) roots (blue dots) are distributed around the DAs. (C) Hierarchical structure of the microvascular network consisting of SAs, DAs, AVs and capillaries (Cs). Additional SAs are added to connect the MCA and ACA sided SAs to a common inflow vertex, i.e., the circle of Willis (CoW). (D-G) Networks C57BL/6I and C57BL/6II with LMCs (D-E) and BALB/cI and BALB/cII without LMCs (F-G). The locations of MCA occlusion (MCAo) are indicated with red circles. The networks are located in the MCA-M4/M5 territory and the MCAo is at the MCA-M2 [61].