Blood flow is dynamically regulated by neurons and astrocytes. Neuronal activity is intimately linked with changes in metabolism and subsequent changes in regional blood flow. Blood flow is responsible for maintaining adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. In brief, we dissect how does biology ensure adequate flow throughout the total length of a large number of highly interconnected blood vessels in a rat somatosensory cortex. This results in vasodilation and in turn changes in metabolic state.
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Vasculature data
Radii of vessels at endfeet locations
Astrocytes, play an important role in metabolism. Increased neuronal activity elevates calcium levels in astrocytes, which in turn releases vasoactive substances at the endfeet, causing changes in the diameter (vasodilation) of the associated blood vessel. Blood flow through the blood vessel (vasculature) network changes in response to altered diameters, meaning that delivery of nutrients (such as lactate, glucose, and oxygen) to support neuronal metabolism is in turn changed.
Figure: Representation of realistic microvascular network sample (A) Synthesized astrocytic morphologies (B) One synthesized astrocytic morphology with two endfeet (C) NGV ensemble.
Video: (A) A few synthesized astrocytic morphologies as in figure, panel A. Astrocytes interact with blood vessels with their endfeet. Astrocytic endfeet cover almost entire surface of the blood vessels Mathiisen (2010).Video: (B) One synthesized astrocytic morphology with two endfeet as in figure, panel B. Astrocytic endfeet play roles in the regulation of dilation and constriction of microvessels to control blood flow Iadecola (2007). Koehler (2009). Masamoto (2015).
Transfer endfeet location from NGV circuit to bloodflow