Coupled agent‐based and hyperelastic modelling of the left ventricle post‐myocardial infarction. (22nd October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhuan, Xin; Luo, Xiaoyu; Gao, Hao; Ogden, Ray W.
• Is Part Of: International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering. Volume 35:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-10-22
• Subjects: agent‐based model -- fibre orientation -- finite element method -- left ventricular modelling -- myocardial infarction; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Imaging systems in medicine -- Periodicals; Numerical analysis -- Periodicals; Engineering mathematics -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3155
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-7939

Abstract

Abstract: Understanding the healing and remodelling processes induced by myocardial infarction (MI) of the heart is important, and the mechanical properties of the myocardium post‐MI can be indicative for effective treatments aimed at avoiding eventual heart failure. MI remodelling is a multiscale feedback process between the mechanical loading and cellular adaptation. In this paper, we use an agent‐based model to describe collagen remodelling by fibroblasts regulated by chemical and mechanical cues after acute MI, and upscale into a finite element 3D left ventricular model. We model the dispersed collagen fibre structure using the angular integration method and have incorporated a collagen fibre tension‐compression switch in the left ventricle (LV) model. This enables us to study the scar healing (collagen deposition, degradation, and reorientation) of a rat heart post‐MI. Our results, in terms of collagen accumulation and alignment, compare well with published experimental data. In addition, we show that different shapes of the MI region can affect the collagen remodelling, and in particular, the mechanical cue plays an important role in the healing process. Abstract : To understand the healing and remodelling processes induced by myocardial infarction (MI) of the heart, we develop a coupled agent‐based and FE model to describe the healing process due to collagen fibres and fibroblasts regulated by chemical and mechanical cues post‐MI in the left ventricle (LV). Our results, in terms of collagen accumulation and alignment, compare well with published experimental data. In addition, we show that different shapes of the MI region can affect the collagen remodelling, and in particular, the mechanical cue plays an important role in the healing process.