title: Microcirculatory flow changes during tissue growth.
abstract: Red blood cell (RBC) velocities, lumen diameters, and volumetric flow rates were determined as functions of position and time in the microvessels of repairing tissue grown in a transparent rabbit ear chamber. By making repeated measurements in the same region, and in many instances, in exactly the same vessel over the entire growth period, we have discerned a distinct microcirculatory flow trend. The flow to a particular region (vessel) increases rapidly after an initial lag time, peaks out, and eventually decays to a steady-state level. This behavior is analogous to the vessel density pattern previously observed in this laboratory, but is delayed in time 1 to 2 weeks. These observations are consistent with mechanical, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms underlying neovascularization, tissue growth, and blood flow regulation, and provide a quantitative understanding of these processes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D004431:Ear, External / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011817:Rabbits; D012212:Rheology; D014945:Wound Healing