Spontaneous alignment of a three-dimensional model of cultured endothelial cells under steady flow condition investigated using computational fluid mechanics

Previous studies using three-dimensional computational fluid mechanical models of the endothelial cells under actual culture conditions as well as under the flow conditions on the arteriolar wall showed that there is a strong dependence of the local wall stress (WSS) distribution on the cellular shape factors and the cellular alignment. The present study simulated spontaneous random motions of the endothelial cells under actual culture conditions, and found that the endothelial cells aligned to the flow direction to reduce the wall shear stress at the summit of the cells.