Blood flow and permeability in microvessels

The mechanics of blood flow in microvessels and microvessel permeability are reviewed. In the first part, characteristics of blood flow in vivo and in vitro are described from a fluid-mechanical point of view, and mathematical models for blood flow in microvessels are presented. Possible causes of the increased flow resistance obtained in vivo compared to in vitro are examined, including the effects of irregularities of vessel lumen, the presence of endothelial surface glycocalyx and white blood cells. In the second part, the ultrastructural pathways and mechanisms whereby endothelial cells and the clefts between the cells modulate microvessel permeability to water and solutes are introduced. Previous and current models for microvessel permeability to water and solutes are reviewed. These models examine the role of structural components of interendothelial cleft, such as junction strands and surface glycocalyx, in the determination of water and solute transport across the microvessel walls. Transport models in the tissue space surrounding the microvessel are also described.