Biomedical subjects

Donghua Liao

Publications and source records attributed to Donghua Liao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

In vivo areal modulus of elasticity estimation of the human tympanic membrane system: modelling of middle ear mechanical function in normal young and aged ears.

The quasi-static elastic properties of the tympanic membrane system can be described by the areal modulus of elasticity determined by a middle ear model. The response of the tympanic membrane to quasi-static pressure changes is determined by its elastic properties. Several clinical problems are related to these, but studies are few and mostly not comparable. The elastic properties of membranes can be described by the areal modulus, and these may also be susceptible to age-related changes reflected by changes in the areal modulus. The areal modulus is determined by the relationship between membrane tension and change of the surface area relative to the undeformed surface area. A middle ear model determined the tension-strain relationship in vivo based on data from experimental pressure-volume deformations of the human tympanic membrane system. The areal modulus was determined in both a younger (n = 10) and an older (n = 10) group of normal subjects. The areal modulus for lateral and medial displacement of the tympanic membrane system was smaller in the older group (mean = 0.686 and 0.828 kN m(-1), respectively) compared to the younger group (mean = 1.066 and 1.206 kN m(-1), respectively), though not significantly (2p = 0.10 and 0.11, respectively). Based on the model the areal modulus was established describing the summated elastic properties of the tympanic membrane system. Future model improvements include exact determination of the tympanic membrane area accounting for its shape via 3D finite element analyses. In vivo estimates of Young's modulus in this study were a factor 2-3 smaller than previously found in vitro. No significant age-related differences were found in the elastic properties as expressed by the areal modulus.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Manual pressure distension of the human saphenous vein changes its biomechanical properties-implication for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Patency rates of saphenous vein grafts following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) depend on multiple factors. Information regarding the impact of biomechanical properties of vein grafts on patency rates is not available. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether uncontrolled manual pressure distension during routine preparation of the saphenous vein in CABG-induced changes in the biomechanical properties of the vein. The morphometric and stress-strain properties were studied in isolated segments of the saphenous vein from 12 patients undergoing elective CABG. Six segments were manually distended without pressure control and six were not distended. The mechanical test was performed as a ramp inflation using syringe pump. The vein dimensions were obtained from digitised images at different pressures as well as at the no-load and zero-stress states. The circumferences, the wall and lumen area, the wall thickness, and the outer diameter as function of the applied pressure were largest in the segments with uncontrolled manual distension compared to those without distension (P<0.05). The opening angle and the absolute value of the residual strains were lower (P<0.01) and the circumferential stress-strain curve shifted to the left, indicating the wall became stiffer with uncontrolled manual distension compared to those without distension (P<0.05). In conclusion, manual pressure distension changed the morphometric and biomechanical properties of the saphenous vein. The perspective is that studies on biomechanical properties on the saphenous vein may guide surgeons how to handle graft material without causing major changes of the biomechanical properties during harvesting and preparation.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

The functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) for evaluation of the esophagogastric junction.

There is a need for new methods to study the dynamics of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ). The aims were to verify the efficacy and usefulness of a "functional lumen imaging probe" (FLIP) for the evaluation of the EGJ. Eight healthy volunteers (6 men), median age 26 (21-35) yr, and two achalasia patients underwent the FLIP procedure. The EGJ was located by manometry. The FLIP measured eight cross-sectional areas (CSAs) 4 mm apart together with the pressure inside a saline-filled cylindrical bag. The data showed the geometric profile of the EGJ reconstructed in a video animation of its dynamic activity. A plot of curve-fitted data for the smallest CSA vs. pressure after balloon distension indicated that the pressure increased from 18 cmH2O at a CSA of 38 mm2 to a pressure of 37 cmH2O at a CSA of 230 mm2 for the healthy controls. In one achalasia patient (unsuccessfully treated with dilations), the CSA never rose above the minimal measurable value despite the pressure increasing to 50 cmH2O. In another achalasia patient (successfully treated with dilations), the pressure only reached 15 cmH2O despite opening to a CSA of 250 mm2. In conclusion, FLIP represents the first dynamic technique to profile the function and anatomy of the EGJ. The method can be used practically to evaluate difficult cases of EGJ dysfunction and may provide a role in evaluating patients before and after therapies for diseases affecting the EGJ such as achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Viscoelastic properties of isolated rat colon smooth muscle cells.

The measurement of the biomechanical properties of gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells is important for the basic understanding of digestive function and the interaction of muscle cells with the matrix. Externally applied forces will deform the cells depending upon their mechanical properties. Hence, the evoked response mediated through stretch-sensitive ion-channels in the smooth muscle cell membrane will depend upon membrane properties and the magnitude of the external force. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells behave in a viscoelastic manner. Smooth muscle cells were dissociated from the muscle layers of the descending colon. The viscoelastic properties of the isolated cells were characterized by measuring the mechanical deflection response of the cell membrane to a negative pressure of 1cm H(2)O applied across the cell through a micropipette and fitting the response to a theoretical viscoelastic solid model. The viscoelastic mechanical constants of the isolated cells (N=9) were found to be as follows: k(1)=19.99+/-2.86 Pa, k(2)=7.19+/-1.21 Pa, mu=25.36+/-6.14 Pas and tau=4.84+/-0.95 s. This study represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first quantitative mechanical properties of isolated living smooth muscle cells from the gastrointestinal tract. The mechanical properties determined in this study will be of use in future analytical and numerical smooth muscle cell models to better predict the mechanism between the magnitude of mechanical stimuli, mechanosensitivity and the evoked afferent responses.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The geometric configuration and morphometry of the rabbit oesophagus during luminal pressure loading.

The aim of the present study was to determine the geometric configuration and morphometric dimensions in the rabbit oesophagus during luminal pressure loading. The geometric configuration is of fundamental importance because it is related to stress and strain and determines the resistance to flow. The oesophagus was excised from rabbits, transferred to an organ bath and stretched to the in vivo length. Cannulas were inserted into both ends and each oesophagus was subjected to a luminal pressure up to 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 cm H(2)O. After equilibrium was reached, the oesophagus was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Sections were cut from five locations in the oesophagus and videotaped in the frozen state. Geometric and morphometric data including perimeter, circularities, area, thickness, buckles and strains in different layers were obtained from the video images. These variables did not show axial variation in the oesophagus. All variables changed as a function of the pressure. The whole wall thickness decreased as an inverse function of the pressure. The thickness decrease was mainly due to thinning of the submucosa and muscle. The number of buckles decreased from 4.05 +/- 0.34 at 0 cm H(2)O pressure to 0.07 +/- 0.07 at 10 cm H(2)O. Circumferential Green strain-pressure curves for the various layers all showed an exponential pattern. The curve obtained at the submucosa-muscle layer interface was located to the right of the other curves, indicating that the muscle layer was softest. The data obtained in this study will be useful for further modelling of the mechanics of the oesophagus.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

New perspectives of studying gastrointestinal muscle function.

The motor function of the gastrointestinal tract has primarily been studied using manometry and radiography, though more indirect tests have also been applied. Manometry and radiography do not provide detailed information about the muscle properties as can be assessed from studies of muscle properties in muscle strips in vitro. In recent years a technique based on impedance planimetric measurement of pressure-cross-sectional area relations in a distending bag has proven to provide more detailed information about the muscle function in vivo. This review shows examples of new muscle function analysis such as length-tension diagrams, force-velocity curves and preload-afterload diagrams.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed2006

Three-dimensional surface model analysis in the gastrointestinal tract.

The biomechanical changes during functional loading and unloading of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are not fully understood. GI function is usually studied by introducing probes in the GI lumen. Computer modeling offers a promising alternative approach in this regard, with the additional ability to predict regional stresses and strains in inaccessible locations. The tension and stress distributions in the GI tract are related to distensibility (tension-strain relationship) and smooth muscle tone. More knowledge on the tension and stress on the GI tract are needed to improve diagnosis of patients with gastrointestinal disorders. A modeling framework that can be used to integrate the physiological, anatomical and medical knowledge of the GI system has recently been developed. The 3-D anatomical model was constructed from digital images using ultrasonography, computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Different mathematical algorithms were developed for surface analysis based on thin-walled structure and the finite element method was applied for the mucosa-folded three layered esophageal model analysis. The tools may be useful for studying the geometry and biomechanical properties of these organs in health and disease. These studies will serve to test the structure-function hypothesis of geometrically complex organs.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

Biomechanical properties of the layered oesophagus and its remodelling in experimental type-1 diabetes.

Passive biomechanical properties in term of the stress-strain relationship and the shear modulus were studied in separated muscle layer and mucosa-submucosa layer in the oesophagus of normal and STZ (streptozotocin)-induced diabetic rats. The mucosa-submucosa and muscle layers were separated using microsurgery and studied in vitro using a self-developed test machine. Stepwise elongation and inflation plus continuous twist were applied to the samples. A constitutive equation based on a strain energy function was used for the stress-strain analysis. Five material constants were obtained for both layers. The mucosa-submucosa layer was significantly stiffer than the muscle layer in longitudinal, circumferential and circumferential-longitudinal shear direction. The mechanical constants of the oesophagus show that the oesophageal wall was anisotropic, the stiffness in the longitudinal direction was higher than in the circumferential direction in the intact oesophagus (P < 0.001) and in the muscle layer (P < 0.05). Diabetes-induced pronounced increase in the outer perimeter, inner perimeter and lumen area in both the muscle and mucosa-submucosa layer. The growth of the mucosa-submucosa layer (P < 0.001) was more pronounced than the muscle layer (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the circumferential stiffness of the mucosa-submucosa layer increased 28 days after STZ treatment. In conclusion, the oesophagus is a non-homogeneous anisotropic tube. Thus, the mechanical properties differed between layers as well as in different directions. Morphological and biomechanical remodelling is prominent in the diabetic oesophagus.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Balloon-distension studies in the gastrointestinal tract: current role.

Balloon distension is a commonly used technique in visceral organs. Research studies take advantage of this technique for studying organ physiology, e.g. for studying the force-deformation relationship and mechanosensitive receptors in the gastrointestinal wall. Balloon distension is also used for diagnostic purposes, e.g. in the diagnostics of non-cardiac chest pain and for treatment of diseases such as bleeding esophageal varices caused by liver disease and lower esophageal sphincter occlusion caused by achalasia. Balloon distension can be carried out with concomitant measurements of pressure, volume and cross-sectional area alone or in combination. Furthermore, balloon-distension techniques can be combined with various imaging techniques such as B-mode ultrasonography and MRI to obtain three-dimensional geometric data about the three-dimensional surface with subsequent calculation of the tension or stress in the gastrointestinal organs. This article describes balloon-distension techniques, in particular new developments of the impedance planimetric technique including methods for studying gastrointestinal muscle function.

Catheterization↗

PubMed2005

Three-dimensional geometry analysis of the stomach in type II diabetic GK rats.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The stomach is affected in more than half of all diabetic patients. The present study aims to investigate 3D geometry, 3D tension distribution and the elasticity in the stomach and its non-glandular and glandular regions in five non-diabetic and five Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats (type 2 diabetic model). METHODS: The stomachs were distended in vitro using a pressure range from 0 to 8 cm H2O. Gastric compliance curves, the surface principal radii of curvature, the surface tension, and circumferential and longitudinal deformation-pressure curves were calculated based on 3D non-diabetic and the diabetic stomach models. RESULTS: Diabetes lowered the gastric compliance in the non-glandular stomach and the whole stomach (P<0.02). The radii of curvature and tension distribution were non-homogeneous in both the diabetic and the non-diabetic stomach due to the complex geometry. Furthermore, diabetes increased the circumferential stiffness in the non-glandular part (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The diabetic stomach exhibited lower material compliance not only in the proximal stomach but also in the entire stomach. The biomechanical properties differed between regions and in different directions in both the non-diabetic and the diabetic stomach. The changes due to diabetes may contribute to the delayed gastric emptying and the symptoms in diabetic patients.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Regional surface geometry of the rat stomach based on three-dimensional curvature analysis.

A better understanding of gastric accommodation and gastric perception requires knowledge of regional gastric geometry and local gastric tension throughout the stomach. An analytic method based on medical imaging data was developed in this study to describe the three-dimensional (3D) rat stomach geometry and tension distribution. The surface principal radii of curvatures were simulated and the surface tension was calculated in the glandular and non-glandular region of the stomach at pressures from 0 Pa to 800 Pa. The radii of curvature and tension distribution in the stomach were non-homogeneous. The radii of curvature in the glandular stomach were larger than those in the non-glandular region at pressures less than 100 Pa (P < 0.001). When the pressure increased to more than 200 Pa, the radii of curvature in the non-glandular stomach was larger than in the glandular stomach (P < 0.05). The curvature and tension distribution mapping using medical imaging technology and 3D models can be used to characterize and distinguish the physical behaviour in separate regions of the stomach.

Anatomy, Cross-Sectional↗

PubMed2005

The effect of digestion of collagen and elastin on histomorphometry and the zero-stress state in rat esophagus.

To understand the physiology and pathology of the esophagus, it is necessary to know the mechanical properties and their dependence on the structural components. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of collagenase and elastase on the morphological and biomechanical properties in the no-load and zero-stress states in the rat esophagus. Twenty tissue rings from each esophagus of seven normal rats were sectioned in an organ bath containing calcium-free Krebs solution with dextran and EGTA. After the rings were photographed in the no-load state, 8 of the 20 rings were separated into mucosa-submucosa and muscle rings and the rings were transferred to four different solutions containing collagenase, elastase, or corresponding control solutions. The rings were cut radially to obtain the zero-stress state and photographed again. The thickness, area, and opening angle were measured from the digitized images. The collagen and elastin area fractions were determined from histological slides with Van Gieson and Weigert's elastic stain. The opening angles and residual strain did not differ in the nonseparated enzyme-treated rings and control rings. However, in the separated mucosa-submucosa ring the opening angle was significantly smaller after treatment than that in control rings (P < 0.01). Collagenase and elastase reduced collagen and elastin in the mucosa-submucosa layer about 40% in the nonseparated wall and 54% in the separated mucosa-submucosa layer (P < 0.01). Collagenase and elastase increased the thickness in the separated mucosa-submucosa layer compared to the control (P < 0.05). Disconnection between the epithelia and the lamina propria was histologically observed after elastase digestion. In conclusion, collagenase and elastase caused the opening angle and the residual strain in the separated mucosa-submucosa layer to decrease. The opening angle of the separated mucosa-submucosa layer depended to some extent on the fraction of collagen and elastin.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Theoretical approach to blood ejection from the human left ventricle.

An ejection dynamics mathematical model of human left ventricle (LV) based on physiological data of human heart is proposed in this study. The mathematical equations were expressed in terms of vorticity-stream function equations in a prolate spheroidal coordinate system. These equations combined with specified boundary conditions were numerically solved by using an alternating-direction-implicit (ADI) algorithm with second order accuracy. The unsteady aspects of the ejection process were subsequently introduced into the numerical simulation. The numerical results have shown that the present ellipsoidal model could be available to simulate the ejection process of the human LV. Such a model combined with cardiac muscle mechanics could be studied further to determine altered left ventricular function in cardiac diseases.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Quantitative analysis of collagen fiber angle in the submucosa of small intestine.

It is of interest to know how distension changes the angle and content of collagen in the submucosa of small intestine. We describe the application of a two-dimensional quantitative analysis technology to determine the angles between collagen fibers in the submucosa using digital image processing. A polarization microscope was used to obtain a series of animal intestinal slice images. The images were studied by analyzing the relationship between the pixel values of each of the polarized angles to obtain the collagen fiber angle. The statistical distribution of the angle as function of the degree of distension can be analyzed.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Two-layered quasi-3D finite element model of the oesophagus.

Analysis of oesophageal mechanoreceptor-dependent responses requires knowledge about the distribution of stresses and strains in the layers of the organ. A two-layered and a one-layered quasi-3D finite element model of the rat oesophagus were used for simulation. An exponential pseudo-strain energy density function was used as the constitutive equation in each model. Stress and strain distributions at the distension pressures 0.25 and 1.0 kPa were studied. The stress and strain distributions depended on the wall geometry. In the one-layered model, the stress ranged from -0.24 to 0.38 kPa at a pressure of 0.25 kPa and from -0.67 to 2.57 kPa at a pressure of 1.0 kPa. The stress in the two-layered model at the pressure of 0.25 and 1.0 kPa varied from -0.52 to 0.64 kPa and from -1.38 to 3.84 kPa. In the two-layered model, the stress was discontinuous at the interface between the muscle layer and the mucosa-submucosa layer. The maximum stress jump was 1.67 kPa at the pressure of 1.0 kPa. The present study provides a numerical simulation tool for characterising the mechanical behaviour of a multi-layered, complex geometry organ.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Radial distributions of temperature pressure and velocities for pulsatile blood flow in an axisymmetrical stiff tube.

Using perturbation theory with the assumption that the pulsatile blood flow in an axisymmetrical stiff tube is the first-order term to solve the linear equations of continuity, motion and heat conduction, the equations of the pulsatile flow, including temperature, are derived, and the instantaneous radial distribution of temperature, pressure and velocities for one frequency component are obtained. Using the published geometrical and physiological parameters of a large artery, a numerical analysis of the distribution relationship between the axial velocity and temperature is carried out. The primary studies show that the amplitude of temperature fluctuation in the tube is inversely proportional to the pulsatile frequency, the temperature and velocities gradients are mainly restricted in the near-wall layers with the increase of pulsatile frequency, and there is a close similarity of the radial pulsating distribution between temperature and axial velocity, which indicates that the blood flux in the artery as well as the motion function of heart can be indirectly described by the measurement of temperature fluctuation.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Shear modulus of elasticity of the esophagus.

Experimental and diagnostic procedures like distension of a balloon catheter, bougie, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy can induce shear deformation in the esophageal wall. However, the shear modulus of the esophagus is yet unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the esophageal shear modulus and its dependence on the circumferential and longitudinal stresses and strains in the rat. The constitutive equation including the shear deformation based on a pseudo-strain-energy function was generated. Results were obtained using a new triaxial instrument to perform simultaneous torsion, inflation, and longitudinal stretching tests. The shear modulus varied with the inflation pressure and the longitudinal stretch ratio. The shear modulus at the longitudinal stretch ratio of 1.5 and between inflation pressures of 0 and 2.0 kPa ranged from 5.43 to 185.01 kPa. The mechanical constant of the esophagus showed that the esophageal wall was anisotropic with different stiffness in the circumferential, longitudinal, and the shear directions. The stiffness in the longitudinal direction was higher than in the circumferential direction (P < 0.001). This test can be extended for further mechanical remodeling experiments and for other tubular organs such as the small intestine or blood vessels.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Stress distribution in the layered wall of the rat oesophagus.

The topic of this study is to obtain the constitutive equations for two layers in the oesophagus from inflation experiment of each layer in the in vivo state and to calculate the corresponding stress distribution referenced to a new stress-free state for multi-layered tissue. The oesophagus is treated as a two-layered structure consisting of an inner submucosa layer and an outer muscle layer. An anisotropic exponential pseudo-strain energy density function is used as the constitutive equation to fit the experimental loading curve and for the calculation of the stress distribution in each layer. Significant differences in the constitutive parameters and zero-stress parameter were found between the submucosa layer and the muscle layer. The stress in the submucosa layer was higher than that in the muscle layer and intact (non-separated) wall under the same loading conditions. The submucosa layer was stiffer than the muscle layer and the intact wall. The zero-stress state of the intact oesophagus and the zero-stress state after separation were used as a reference to compare the stress-strain distributions. The residual strain was discontinuous when using the zero-stress state after separation as a reference. Furthermore, the circumferential stress when using the zero-stress state of the intact wall as a reference was about 100 times higher than that referenced to the zero-stress state after separation. Hence, it is important to use the zero-stress state obtained after the layer separation as the stress-free state in the study of multi-layered tissue.

Animals↗