{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T22:50:58Z","timestamp":1791327058472,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"ASME International","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":["asmedigitalcollection.asme.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,5,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Liver cirrhosis represents the end-stage of different liver disorders, progressively affecting hepatic architecture, hemodynamics, and function. Morphologically, cirrhosis is characterized by diffuse fibrosis, the conversion of normal liver architecture into structurally abnormal regenerative nodules and the formation of an abundant vascular network. To date, the vascular remodeling and altered hemodynamics due to cirrhosis are still poorly understood, even though they seem to play a pivotal role in cirrhogenesis. This study aims to determine the perfusion characteristics of the cirrhotic circulation using a multilevel modeling approach including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Vascular corrosion casting and multilevel micro-CT imaging of a single human cirrhotic liver generated detailed datasets of the hepatic circulation, including typical pathological characteristics of cirrhosis such as shunt vessels and dilated sinusoids. Image processing resulted in anatomically correct 3D reconstructions of the microvasculature up to a diameter of about 500\u2009\u03bcm. Subsequently, two cubic samples (150\u2009\u00d7\u2009150\u2009\u00d7\u2009150\u2009\u03bcm3) were virtually dissected from vascularized zones in between regenerative nodules and applied for CFD simulations to study the altered cirrhotic microperfusion and permeability. Additionally, a conceptual 3D model of the cirrhotic macrocirculation was developed to reveal the hemodynamic impact of regenerative nodules. Our results illustrate that the cirrhotic microcirculation is characterized by an anisotropic permeability showing the highest value in the direction parallel to the central vein (kd,zz\u2009=\u20091.68\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221213 m2 and kd,zz\u2009=\u20097.79\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221213 m2 for sample 1 and 2, respectively) and lower values in the circumferential (kd,\u03d1\u03d1\u2009=\u20095.78\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221214 m2 and kd,\u03d1\u03d1\u2009=\u20095.65\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221213 m2 for sample 1 and 2, respectively) and radial (kd,rr\u2009=\u20099.87\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221214 m2 and kd,rr\u2009=\u20095.13\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u221213 m2 for sample 1 and 2, respectively) direction. Overall, the observed permeabilities are markedly higher compared to a normal liver, implying a locally decreased intrahepatic vascular resistance (IVR) probably due to local compensation mechanisms (dilated sinusoids and shunt vessels). These counteract the IVR increase caused by the presence of regenerative nodules and dynamic contraction mechanisms (e.g., stellate cells, NO-concentration, etc.). Our conceptual 3D model of the cirrhotic macrocirculation indicates that regenerative nodules severely increase the IVR beyond about 65 vol. % of regenerative nodules. Numerical modeling allows quantifying perfusion characteristics of the cirrhotic macro- and microcirculation, i.e., the effect of regenerative nodules and compensation mechanisms such as dilated sinusoids and shunt vessels. Future research will focus on the development of models to study time-dependent degenerative adaptation of the cirrhotic macro- and microcirculation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4029280","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,12,4]],"date-time":"2014-12-04T14:40:25Z","timestamp":1417704025000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1115\/crossmarkpolicy-asme","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":37,"title":["A Multilevel Modeling Framework to Study Hepatic Perfusion Characteristics in Case of Liver Cirrhosis"],"prefix":"10.1115","volume":"137","author":[{"given":"Geert","family":"Peeters","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"IBiTech \u2013 bioMMeda, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, iMinds Medical IT Department, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 \u2013 Block B, Gent 9000, Belgium e-mail:"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charlotte","family":"Debbaut","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IBiTech \u2013 bioMMeda, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, iMinds Medical IT Department, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 \u2013 Block B, Gent 9000, Belgium e-mail:"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pieter","family":"Cornillie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"De Schryver","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for X-Ray Tomography, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, Gent 9000, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Diethard","family":"Monbaliu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wim","family":"Laleman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Liver and Biliopancreatic Disorders, Hepatology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patrick","family":"Segers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IBiTech \u2013 bioMMeda, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, iMinds Medical IT Department, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 \u2013 Block B, Gent 9000, Belgium e-mail:"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"33","reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"2019100512180525600_B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpg.2011.02.009","article-title":"Liver Cirrhosis","volume":"25","year":"2011","journal-title":"Best Pract. 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