Moving domain computational fluid dynamics to interface with an embryonic model of cardiac morphogenesis
- Authors
- Lee, J., Moghadam, M.E., Kung, E., Cao, H., Beebe, T., Miller, Y., Roman, B.L., Lien, C.L., Chi, N.C., Marsden, A.L., and Hsiai, T.K.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-130909-11
- Date
- 2013
- Source
- PLoS One 8(8): e72924 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Chi, Neil C., Lien, Ching-Ling (Ellen), Miller, Yury, Roman, Beth
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Models, Cardiovascular*
- Algorithms
- Heart/embryology*
- Shear Strength
- Blood Flow Velocity
- Rheology
- Computer Simulation
- Hydrodynamics
- Animals
- Morphogenesis/physiology*
- Zebrafish
- Hemodynamics/physiology*
- PubMed
- 24009714 Full text @ PLoS One
Peristaltic contraction of the embryonic heart tube produces time- and spatial-varying wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure gradients (▽P) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a genetically tractable system to investigate cardiac morphogenesis. The use of Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1 transgenic embryos allowed for delineation and two-dimensional reconstruction of the endocardium. This time-varying wall motion was then prescribed in a two-dimensional moving domain computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, providing new insights into spatial and temporal variations in WSS and ▽P during cardiac development. The CFD simulations were validated with particle image velocimetry (PIV) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal, revealing an increase in both velocities and heart rates, but a decrease in the duration of atrial systole from early to later stages. At 20-30 hours post fertilization (hpf), simulation results revealed bidirectional WSS across the AV canal in the heart tube in response to peristaltic motion of the wall. At 40-50 hpf, the tube structure undergoes cardiac looping, accompanied by a nearly 3-fold increase in WSS magnitude. At 110-120 hpf, distinct AV valve, atrium, ventricle, and bulbus arteriosus form, accompanied by incremental increases in both WSS magnitude and ▽P, but a decrease in bi-directional flow. Laminar flow develops across the AV canal at 20-30 hpf, and persists at 110-120 hpf. Reynolds numbers at the AV canal increase from 0.07±0.03 at 20-30 hpf to 0.23±0.07 at 110-120 hpf (p< 0.05, n=6), whereas Womersley numbers remain relatively unchanged from 0.11 to 0.13. Our moving domain simulations highlights hemodynamic changes in relation to cardiac morphogenesis; thereby, providing a 2-D quantitative approach to complement imaging analysis.