High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a deadly condition that is reaching epidemic proportions. The global burden of hypertension is expected to increase by 60% from 26.4% (972 million people) in 2000 to 29.2% (1.56 billion people) by 2025. [Kearney, P. M. et al., Lancet, 2005. 365(9455): p. 217-223]. Although hypertension is traditionally viewed as a disease of aging, it is now prevalent in young adults, with several genetic and lifestyle factors contributing to its incidence and severity. Hypertension is a major risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Since even at present our understanding of hypertension still does not encompass its inherent complexity, the vast majority of hypertensive patients are treated symptomatically, rather than causally. Knowledge regarding hypertension should be advanced in order to improve this situation. There is a growing consensus that hypertension is primarily linked to an elevated peripheral vascular resistance originating primarily from small resistance arteries in the terminal parts of the vascular tree.
Current knowledge regarding blood vessel structure and function is primarily derived from experiments using large non-resistance arteries, which are more easily accessible. Unfortunately, functional differences exist between large conduit and small resistance arteries as well as between resistance arteries from different vascular beds. Small resistance vessels are understudied, largely due to the considerable technical skills required to handle them experimentally. Since a better understanding of mechanisms that regulate resistance artery structure and function is key to improved strategies to treat hypertension, technologies that facilitate the handling of resistance arteries are needed. Similar challenges arise in attempting other investigations with such small arteries, for example in researching structural responses to other stimuli such as pharmaceuticals. These challenges are also present in investigations of other similar flow conduits, such as small tubules found in the lungs, pancreas, and others.
Current methods and processes use cell-based screens, genetic analysis and pharmacological tools combined with animal models to identify, test and assess safety and efficacy of a potential drug product. Consequently, the process is relatively long and only approximately one in a thousand pre-clinical identifications achieves success before being proposed for human trials.
Current methods are often time consuming, require care and training for the investigator, and often result in a low percentage of useable vessels for investigation. There remains the challenge of providing an efficient and standardized way to investigate these small flow conduits. It would be useful for a solution to these challenges to be applicable to other biological flow conduits, and artificial or engineered flow conduits.