Rheological discrimination between native, rigid and aggregated red blood cells in oscillatory flow¹

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Schneditz, D.^a | Ribitsch, V.^b | Kenner, T.^a

Affiliations: [a] Physiologisches Institut, Universität Graz, Harrachgasse 21/V, 8010 - Graz, Austria | [b] Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Graz, Heinrichstraße 28/IV, 8010 - Graz, Austria

Note: [1] We wish to dedicate this article to Prof. Dr. J. Schurz on the occasion of his 60th birthday

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor D. Quemada

Abstract: The viscoelastic behaviour of hardened or aggregated red blood cells is compared with the flow pattern of native red blood cells, all suspended in buffer solution at a hematocrit of 45%. The rheological properties are investigated under oscillatory shear at the constant frequency of 2Hz. Variation of the amplitude covers a range of shear-rates from 0.5/s to 200/s. It can be seen that rigidification of the red cells by treatment with glutardialdehyde leads to changes of the flow properties in the range of shear-rates above 10/s, whereas aggregate formation due to addition of dextran distinctly alters the flow properties in the range of shear-rates below 10/s.

Keywords: Erythrocytes, Rheology, Erythrocyte aggregation, Dextrans, Elasticity, Glutaraldehyde, Viscosity

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1985-22305

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 209-219, 1985