title: Reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma viscosity, and whole blood viscosity by the application of pulsed corona discharges and filtration.
abstract: The present study investigated the feasibility of applying pulsed corona discharges to blood plasma to reduce the viscosity of blood plasma and whole blood. Blood plasma was separated from blood cells, treated with corona discharges, and filtered before it was re-mixed with blood cells. Plasma viscosity (PV), whole blood viscosity (WBV), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-c concentration were measured before and after the corona treatment and filtration. Both PV and WBV increased in the case of the corona treatment only, whereas both of them decreased in the case of the corona treatment plus filtration. In particular, the LDL-c decreased in the case of the corona treatment plus filtration by 31.5% from the baseline value. The effect of the corona treatment on the reduction of the WBV was significant at low shear rates, but not at high shear rates, suggesting that the precipitation of the molecules in blood plasma by the corona treatment and subsequent removal may suppress the aggregation of erythrocytes and improve rheological properties of blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jin M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fridman
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D005374:Filtration; D006400:Hematocrit; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000379:methods; D033081:Shear Strength; D013997:Time Factors; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007136:Immunoglobulins