Fluid–solid coupling dynamic model for oscillatory growth of multicellular lumens

Abstract

The development of multicellular lumens involves the interplay of cell proliferation, oscillation, and fluid transport. In this paper, a fluid–solid coupling dynamic model is proposed to investigate the physical mechanisms underlying the oscillatory growth of lumens. On the basis of experimental observations, the periodic oscillation of a lumen is interpreted by the fracturing–healing mechanism of cell–cell contacts, which induces a hydraulic-controlled outward flow switch. This model reproduces the oscillations of lumen sizes, in agreement with the experimental results of Hydra regeneration. It is found that the overall change trend of the lumen volume is determined by the tissue development induced by cell proliferation and the fluid transport induced by the osmotic pressure, while the outward flow due to the fracturing of cell–cell contacts regulates the oscillatory volume and the stress level in an appropriate scope. This work not only deepens our understanding of biomechanical mechanisms under the development of fluid-containing lumens, but also provides a theoretical framework to rationalize the dynamics of lumen-like tissues.