title: Morphogenetic implications of peristaltic fluid-tissue dynamics in the embryonic lung.
abstract: Peristalsis begins in the lung as soon as the smooth muscle forms, and persists until birth. Since the prenatal lung is liquid-filled, smooth muscle action can deform tissues and transport fluid far from the immediately adjacent tissues. Stretching of embryonic tissues and sensation of internal fluid flows have been shown to have potent morphogenetic effects. We hypothesize that these effects are at work in lung morphogenesis. To place that hypothesis in a quantitative framework, we analyze a model of the fluid-structure interactions between embryonic tissues and lumen fluid resulting from peristaltic waves that partially occlude the airway. We find that if the airway is closed, deformations are synchronized; by contrast, if the trachea is open, maximal occlusion precedes maximal pressure. We perform a parametric analysis of how occlusion, stretch, and flow depend on tissue stiffnesses, smooth muscle force, tissue shape and size, and fluid viscosity. We find that most of these relationships are governed by simple ratios.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Kishore K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Bokka
authors.affiliation: National Health Service (NHS), Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Edwin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jesudason
authors.affiliation: The Saban Research Institute, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, MS# 35, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. Electronic address: lubkin@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Sharon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lubkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010528:Peristalsis / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Airway; Fluid–structure interaction; Morphogenesis; Peristalsis; Pressure