Affiliations: McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Note: [] Dr. J.N. Marhefka currently is affiliated to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Marina V. Kameneva, 100 Technology Drive, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. Tel.: +1 412 235 5125; Fax: +1 412 235 5110; E-mail: kamenevamv@upmc.edu.
Abstract: Natural and synthetic soluble drag reducing polymers (DRP) have been shown to produce beneficial effects on blood circulation in various animal models and may represent a novel bioengineering way to treat cardiovascular disorders. These polymers are known to degrade when subjected to high shear stresses which could be a part of the process of their elimination from the vascular system. However, the relative rate of their degradation was not known especially in the presence of blood cells or particles. The hydrodynamic tests in this study demonstrated that DRP mechanical degradation was significantly increased by the presence of red blood cells (RBC) and even more so by the presence of rigid particles of similar size. Degradation rates increased with an increase in RBC or particle concentration. The natural DRP (derived from aloe) was shown to be much more resistant to flow-induced degradation than polyethylene oxide in the presence or absence of RBC.
