Red cell flexibility, electrical resistance and viscosity of blood flowing through small glass capillaries.
The influence of varying shear forces (4-10 microN.cm-2) generated by a pulsating flow of 4 cycles/min, on the longitudinal electrical resistance (R) of a blood perfused small glass capillary (I.D. = 0.12 mm, l = 30 mm) was determined. Red cells were stiffened by stepwise addition of bile or by sterile incubation during 24-48 h. The shear dependent changes in R were closely related to red cell flexibility and apparent blood viscosity. In normal defibrinized blood R decreased by about 3%, while more rigid cells evoked a shear dependent increase in R of 1-5%. The measurements performed demonstrate that the typical shapes of the electrical signals provide more information of rheological significance of red blood cell flexibility than the results of viscosity determination alone.
D001775:Blood Circulation; D002196:Capillaries / Q000502:physiology*; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008560:Membrane Fluidity
D002746:Chlorpromazine