Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in many developing
and developed countries. This dissertation proposes a framework for gaining a greater
understanding of the inflammatory process that is thought to result in the development of
atherosclerosis and effects of radiation on the subsequent cardiovascular disease through statistical
analysis and mathematical modelling of this process. The potential effect of low dose radiation in
atherosclerotic initiation and progression is assessed utilising data on inflammatory markers and
plaque development generated by European and Canadian researchers collected as part of the EU
NOTE Project. Following suggestions from previous in vitro and in vivo experimental data, the
hypothesis under consideration is that at low doses and dose rates there is a largely antiinflammatory
response. Implications of this for induction of atherosclerosis after low dose and low
dose-rate exposure are assessed. Two and three dimensional reaction-diffusion models of the
cardiovascular system are constructed. These are used to assess perturbations of equilibrium and
non-equilibrium states. Inferences for low dose mechanisms in the light of much biological and
epidemiological data are considered.
Chapter 1 serves as an introduction, describing the aetiology of atherosclerosis, a complex disease
with many routes to initiation and progression, as well as environmental, biochemical, genetic and
mechanical risk factors. This chapter surveys the extensive literature on the subject. Effects of
radiation and mechanisms of cardiovascular injury are likewise assessed and the findings from
various epidemiological and animal studies along with statistical considerations are discussed.
Chapter 2 gives an overview of mathematical models of cardiovascular disease, and how they may
illuminate the structure and evolution of CVD from various perspectives; this chapter outlines
challenges in using mathematics as a tool for analysing this complex process. Chapter 3 proposes a
spatial reaction diffusion model for atherosclerosis and provides a general framework for modelling
early stage disease. Numerical implementation of the equations is performed based on parameter
values derived from the biological and epidemiological literature. Chapter 4 considers the
association between low dose radiation, inflammation and plaque development and progression by
conducting statistical analysis utilising data on ApoE-null, ApoE-heterozygote and wild-type mice
and discussing the biological pathways. Chapter 5 concludes. Certain auxiliary figures and tables
(largely relating to chapters3 and 4) are presented in the appendix, while definitions for various
biological and statistical terms utilized throughout are provided in the glossary at the end.