Computational study of remodeling of fibrin networks under compression

Fibrin network is one of the major structural components of both physiological blood clots and pathological thrombi. Mechanical and structural properties of fibrin network contribute to clot mechanical stability and determine its deformation under pressure from blood flow. Computational study of dynamical deformations of fibrin networks under compression demonstrate that dramatic remodeling of a clot observed in experiments is based on bending and reorientation of individual fibers as well as fiber-fiber non-covalent linkage. Structures of the network used in model simulations are generated from data gleaned from confocal microscopy images of in vitro fibrin clots. Upon network compression, non-covalent interactions between fibers result in dynamic variation of network architecture. These interactions significantly affect mechanical response of the network at high compression degrees, ultimately resulting in clot stiffening. Simulation results match experimental data in both fiber linking rates and network densification under different compression rates. Finally, the model is used to predict how stress propagates through the network and how rearrangement and linking of fibrin fibers affects clot stiffening.