Capillary blood viscosity in microcirculation

Issue title: Selected Proceedings of the European Society for Clinical Hemorheology (E.S.C.H.), 26–29 June, 2005, Siena, Italy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Cortinovis, A. | Crippa, A.^; | Cavalli, R. | Corti, M. | Cattaneo, L.

Affiliations: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Terapia Medica, Sez di Clinica Medica 2°, Università degli Studi di Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Italy | Dipartimento di Fisica “A. Volta”, INFM Unità di Ricerca di Pavia, Italy

Note: [] Corresponding author: Alda Crippa, Via Marchesi 27, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Tel./Fax: +390382473179; E-mail: via_marchesi27@libero.it.

Abstract: As known, at the arteriolar level there is the highest resistance to the flow due to the section and to the velocity with an average pressure fall of 50 mmHg (from 85 to 35 mmHg). This resistance is expressed in sec−1 by the ratio W/2r. This ratio is very high with an average value of 332 sec−1 and viscosity at this high shear-rate is negligible. At the capillary level the pressure fall is 11.5 mmHg but the vascular resistance W/2r is much lower, on average 32 sec−1. We can say that if a resistance of 333 sec−1 corresponds with a pressure fall of 50 mmHg, then a resistance of 32 sec−1 should correspond with a pressure fall of 4.8 mmHg. The highest pressure fall is due to another kind of resistance which we can define as “Capillary Blood Viscosity” because it depends on the rheological and structural characteristics of the blood. Our instrument reproduces the structure of the capillary district in an experimental model and measures the General Blood Viscosity (GBV) and the Capillary Blood Viscosity (CBV) at the same shear-rate and in particular at the low shear-rate when in non-Newtonian fluids the highest increase in viscosity appears. Consequently, at the capillary, viscosity is dominant with respect to the other geometric and physical resistances. Moreover, the percentage ratio between the GBV and the CBV gives a physical measure of erythrocyte deformability. Knowing viscosity at shear-rate present in the circulatory system, we can obtain the size of RBCs aggregates in the different circulatory districts and their characteristics expressed like “aggregation bond”. Changes in CBV are the only possibility in clinical practice to improve the circulatory flow in the capillary district because it is not sure that changes in the arteriolar section can improve the capillary flow or rather open arterio-venous anastomosis. Moreover, in the systemic circulation the aggregate size allows us to point out the phenomenon of cell adhesion because the presence of several receptors involves also the other blood cells. Finally the size and the stability of the RBCs aggregates can modify the endothelial thrombo-resistance.

Keywords: General blood viscosity, capillary blood viscosity, erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte aggregation, microcirculation

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 183-192, 2006