An analysis of an Ising-like agent based model of lung inflammation and fibrosis in response to particulate matter using a Netlogo v6.0 platform

• Main Author: Caballero, Rafael Martin R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Atmospheric aerosols; Lung > Fibrosis; Pulmonary fibrosis
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/5978
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigated on the relationship between lung tissue state and inhalation of particulate matter using an agent-based Ising-like model. A simulation was made to mimic lung interaction using agents (dendritic cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts, and particulate matter) subjected to varying degree exposures (10,15, and 20) to measure the amounts of proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-alpha), anti-inflammatory cytokine (TGF-beta), and collagen. Exposure was introduced to the system with 100 tick time intervals for 50 repetitions. Results demonstrated three lung tissue states in relation to degree exposure. Three lung tissue states were observed to be independent of addition of dendritic cells. These states were characterized as (1) return to baseline, (2) elevated levels of inflammation and fibrosis, and (3) extreme tissue damage and fibrosis. The mean total energy of the system for the return to baseline tissue state and elevated levels of inflammation and fibrosis state yielded the range of 0.65- 1.005 and 0.54-0.71 PM · Macrophage spin, respectively. The extreme tissue damage and fibrosis states yielded mean total energy values less than -0.002. Magnetization for degree exposure 10 was 99% (-), while degree exposure 15 and 20 were 72% and 93% (+) throughout the simulation. The use of in silico models for lung tissue modeling yielded similar results as in vivo and in vitro models with the advantage of a highly controlled system. The addition of the Ising model was able to calculate the energy to determine lung tissue state. The author recommends the addition of a calibrated temperature system to accompany the Ising model as well as a variation in the amount of dendritic cells to be added for future studies. The author also recommends further study on differentiating inflammation and fibrosis using the obtained energy of the system as well as the magnetization.