| Contact
Dr.
E.T. van Bavel
Prof.Dr.Ir.J.A.E.Spaan
Key
Publications |
Arterioles
form the main site of control of organ perfusion. This
control is accomplished by both structural adaptation and
vascular smooth muscle tone. Within the Functional
Vascular Biology group of the Medical Physics department,
research is devoted to unraveling the cellular mechanisms
of structural and functional control, their interaction,
and their consequences for organ perfusion. We have
special interests in the effects of pressure and flow on
arterioles, the coronary circulation and the human
microvasculature in pre-eclampsia. We combine work at the
molecular level (e.g. calcium imaging, MMP zymography)
with studies on isolated arterioles mounted in perfusion
myographs. In addition, perfused arterioles and large
arteries are kept in culture to directly monitor the
remodeling process. Experimental data are incorporated in
computer models of branching vascular networks in order to
correlate isolated vessel behavior with tissue perfusion. |
