Affiliations: [a] U1046 INSERM, UMR 9214 CNRS « Physiopathologie and Médecine Expérimentale du Coeur et des Muscles-PHYMEDEXP », Unité d’ExplorationsMétaboliques (CERAMM), Université de Montpellier, Département de Physiologie Clinique, Hôpital Lapeyronie CHRU Montpellier, France
| [b] Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM) UMR CNRS 5247, Université de Montpellier, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, France
| [c] Laboratoire de Biophysique and Bio-Analyses, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, France
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Brun Jean-Frédéric, MD, PhD, U1046 INSERM, UMR 9214 CNRS « Physiopathologie and Médecine Expérimentale du Coeur et des Muscles-PHYMEDEXP », Unité d’Explorations Métaboliques (CERAMM), Université de Montpellier, Département de Physiologie Clinique, Hôpital Lapeyronie CHRU Montpellier, France. Tel.: +33467338284; Fax: +33467338986; Telex: CHR MONTP 480 766 F; E-mail: j-brun@chu-montpellier.fr.
Note: [1] The manuscript is dedicated to Prof. F. Jung on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Abstract: Rheological properties of plasma and blood cells are markedly influenced by the surrounding milieu: physicochemical factors, metabolism and hormones. Acid/base status, osmolality, lipid status, plasma protein pattern, oxidative stress induced by increased free radicals production, endothelium-derived factors such as nitric oxide (NO), achidonic acid derivatives modulate both red blood cell (RBC) and white cell mechanics. Therefore, regulatory axes involving liver, endothelium, kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland, endocrine heart, adipose tissue, pituitary gland, and surely other tissues play important roles in the regulation of blood fluidity. A comprehensive picture of all this complex network of regulatory loops is still unavailable but current progress of knowledge suggest that some attempts can currently be made.
