title: Decrease in whole blood viscosity in alloxan diabetic rabbits.
abstract: Whole blood and plasma viscosity of normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits were measured by means of cone in cone viscosimeters at different shear rates. Blood behaves like a non-Newtonian fluid, i.e. the viscosity is shear rate-dependent whereas plasma viscosity remains constant over the shear rate range employed, i.e. behaves like a Newtonian fluid. Blood viscosity was found to be statistically significantly decreased in the alloxan diabetic group in comparison to the control group. The decrease is attributed to a slight decrease in mean hematocrit and mean plasma viscosity of the diabetic animals. The possible mechanisms of these changes are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006400:Hematocrit; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005340:Fibrinogen