Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation - Volume 30, issue 3-4

Authors: Vayá, Amparo | Ricart, Jose | Todolí, José | Micó, Luisa | Contreras, Teresa | Aznar, Justo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Behçet's disease (BD) is associated with an increased thrombotic risk, although the prothrombotic mechanisms are not clearly defined. Alterations in blood rheology, specially increased erythrocyte aggregation has been suggested to play an important role in the development of thrombotic events in patients with Behçet's disease. In order to ascertain whether any rheological parameter could be involved in the pathogenesis of thrombotic events in Behçet's disease we have determined plasmatic lipids, fibrinogen, hematocrit, erythrocyte aggregation (Myrenne aggregometer), erythrocyte deformability (Rheodyn SSD), blood viscosity (Brookfield viscosimeter), plasma viscosity (Fresenius capillary viscosimeter) and erythrocyte indexes in Behçet's patients with a non‐active disease …when sampling, and a well matched control group. The patient group was made up of 40 Behçet's patients (20 male, 20 female aged 43±12 years) and the control group comprised 70 healthy volunteers (24 male, 46 female aged 45±13 years). Twelve of the 40 Behçet's patients have had a previous documented history of deep vein thrombosis at least six months before entering the study, and the other 28 did not. When patients and controls were compared, patients showed a statistically higher fibrinogen level (p=0.002), plasma viscosity (p=0.003), blood viscosity (p=0.021) and erythrocyte aggregation (p=0.049), the other rheological parameters not being statistically significant. No differences were observed in the rheological parameters when patients with and without a previous thrombotic episode were compared. Our results suggest that rheological alterations do not seem to play any role in the development of thrombotic events in patients with Behçet's disease. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 411-414, 2004

Authors: Solá, Eva | Vayá, Amparo | Contreras, Teresa | Falcó, Cristina | Corella, Dolores | Hernández, Antonio | Aznar, Justo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The association of hemorheological alterations with morbid obesity remains a question of debate. In order to ascertain whether morbid obese subjects show certain hemorheological alterations which might be involved in the higher thrombotic risk which characterizes these subjects, we determine glucose, plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, fibrinogen, hematocrit, blood viscosity (Brookfield DVIII viscosimeter), both at native and corrected hematocrit of 45%, plasma viscosity (Fresenius capillary viscosimeter), erythrocyte aggregation (Myrenne aggregometer), both at stasis and at 3 s−1 at 45% hematocrit and erythrocyte indexes in 41 morbid obese subjects (32 female, 9 male aged 33±10 years), and in a well matched non‐obese …control group (40 female, 15 male, aged 32±10 years). Mean BMI in the morbid obese group was 44.9±6.7 kg/m2 vs 23.5±4.8 kg/m2 in the control group (p<0.001). Morbid obese subjects when compared with the control group showed a statistically higher glucose level (p<0.001), LDL‐cholesterol (p=0.019), triglycerides (p<0.001), apoB (p=0.019), apoB/A1 (p<0.001), fibrinogen (p<0.001), erythrocyte aggregation (p<0.001), and a statistically lower HDL‐cholesterol (p<0.001). No differences between both groups were observed regarding total‐cholesterol, plasma viscosity, blood viscosity and hematocrit (p=0.109; p=0.690; p=0.510; p=0.950), respectively. After the adjustment for BMI, differences in glucose, LDL‐cholesterol, triglycerides, apoB, apoB/A1 , and erythrocyte aggregation did not reach the statistical significance, and differences in fibrinogen were borderline significant (p=0.051), showing a direct effect of BMI on the detected differences between obese and non‐obese. Our results suggest that in morbid obese subjects the increased fibrinogen levels and the altered lipid profile associated with their higher BMI, could in addition to its known mechanisms on haemostasis, favour both venous and arterial thrombotic events by enhancing erythrocyte aggregation. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 415-418, 2004

Authors: Solá, Eva | Vayá, Amparo | Contreras, Teresa | Falcó, Cristina | Corella, Dolores | Hernández, Antonio | Aznar, Justo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Discrepant results have been published regarding modifications of rheological parameters in obese subjects after a low caloric diet (LCD). In order to ascertain whether a decrease in BMI associated to a LCD, is accompanied by changes in the hemorheological parameters, we determined in 41 morbid obese subjects (32 female, 9 male aged 33±10 years) BMI, glucose, plasmatic lipids and apolipoproteins, fibrinogen, blood viscosity (Brookfield viscosimeter), plasma viscosity (Fresenius capillary viscosimeter), erythrocyte aggregation (Myrenne aggregometer), hematocrit and erythrocyte indexes, before starting on a LCD and 1 and 3 months after. During the first month obese subjects received a very low caloric …diet (VLCD) (Modifast® ) providing 458 kcal per day. The second and third month they received a LCD providing 1500 kcal/day for men and 1200 kcal/day for women. One month after starting on a VLCD, a statistical significant decrease in glucose (p<0.001), Total‐cholesterol (p<0.001), LDL‐cholesterol (p<0.001), triglycerides (p=0.012), apoB (p<0.001) and erythrocyte aggregation (p<0.001) were observed together with a concomitant decrease in BMI (p<0.001). The expected decrease in HDL‐cholesterol associated with a low fat diet was also noted in these individuals. No changes in fibrinogen, hematocrit, blood viscosity or plasma viscosity were observed. At 3 months only a slight increase in BMI was observed regarding the one month period, glucose being the only parameter which remained statistically lower. All the other significant parameters returned to their basal values at 3 months. VLCD (Modifast® ) is associated to a significant decrease in BMI with the corresponding improvement in glucose, lipids and erythrocyte aggregation at one month. However a LCD alone does not produce a further decrease in weight and both lipids and erythrocyte aggregation return to the basal situation at three months. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 419-422, 2004

Authors: Contreras, Teresa | Vayá, Amparo | Palanca, Sarai | Solá, Eva | Corella, Dolores | Aznar, Justo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Some hemorheological parameters constitute risk factors for ischemic cardiovascular events. Most of these hemorheological factors are determined by the erythrocyte intrinsic properties and the high molecular weight plasmatic proteins, especially fibrinogen. The contribution of the plasmatic lipids to hemorheological factors is not well established. With this aim we determined hemorheological parameters in 112 healthy volunteers (62 males, 50 females) aged 35±10 years, range 19–54 years, members of our hospital staff. A complete set of rheological test was performed. Blood viscosity (BV) 230 sec−1 , plasma viscosity (PV), erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI), erythrocyte elongation index (EEI), hematocrit and fibrinogen. We …also determined plasmatic lipids including total cholesterol (T‐Ch) and its fractions (HDL‐Ch, LDL‐Ch, VLDL‐Ch), triglycerides, lipoproteins (Apo B, Apo A1 , B/A1 ). Exclusion criteria were concomitant cardiovascular risk factors or any other associated pathology. Our results show a positive correlation between BV 230 sec−1 and triglycerides (r=0.335) and negative with HDL‐Ch (r=−0.451) (p=0.01), respectively; PV shows a positive correlation with T‐Ch (r=0.297), LDL‐Ch (r=0.298) and Apo B/A (r=0.290) (p=0.01). The EEI was negatively correlated with TG (p=0.05). Of all the rheological parameters evaluated, EAI is the factor which shows the highest significant correlation with plasmatic lipids: T‐Ch (r=0.515), TG (r=0.303), LDL‐Ch (r=0.507) and Apo B/A ratio (r=0.403); (p=0.01). These results suggest that plasmatic lipids contribute to modulate the blood rheological properties, slowling blood flow, favouring the development of atherothrombotics events, especially in stenotic areas or bifurcations in the vascular tree. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 423-425, 2004

Authors: Kumsishvili, T. | Varazashvili, M. | Mchedlishvili, G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Hemorheological parameters were investigated before, during, and after the standard burn of the distal part of the rabbits' ear shell (54°C for 3 minutes). The erythrocyte aggregation was investigated with the “Georgian technique” and the local hematocrit was determined by centrifugation of blood samples from the inflammatory focus. In addition, we determined the size of the inflammatory edema in the ear shell. We found that the erythrocyte aggregability rised by 3.7 times in the venous blood flowing out from the inflammation focus while the hematocrit increased 1.6 times as compared to the microcirculation in the contralateral (control) ear shall. The …thickness of this latter related to edema development increased three times. All the mentioned changes disappeared within five days after start of the experiments. We concluded that in the aseptic inflammatory foci the erythrocyte aggregability increases considerably in the microcirculation producing capillary stases and enhancing the local hematocrit. The hemorheological disorders were not spread to other parts of the circulatory bed. Show more

Keywords: Rabbits experiments, blood rheological disorders, inflammation

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 427-429, 2004

Authors: Mantskava, Maya | Pargalava, Nugzar | Mchedlishvili, George

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Under both the in vivo and in vitro conditions we investigated the insulin effect on the most significant factor disturbing the blood rheological disorders in the microcirculation, the red blood cell aggregability. The in vivo studies we carried out in the 42 insulin treated diabetic patients (diabetes mellitus type II), as well as conducted the in vitro investigations of the blood both of the diabetic patients (24) and of the healthy people (20) where the insulin was added to the blood ex vivo. The RBC aggregability in blood investigated with the “Georgian technique” was found significantly enhanced, by about …100 per cents in the diabetic patients. Under the in vivo conditions insulin administered intravenously decreased the RBC aggregability almost to the normal level in diabetic patients. In addition, in the in vitro studies we found that the insulin lowered significantly the RBC aggregability when it was significantly enhanced by addition of Dextran‐500, as well as in the blood of patients with the ischemic brain infarcts. The decreasing effect on the RBC aggregability was observed even in the healthy control group where the RBC aggregability was in a normal range. Show more

Keywords: Microvascular hemorheology, diabetus melitus, insulin effect

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 431-433, 2004

Authors: Musielak, Malgorzata

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Bovine red blood cells (RBCs) do not exhibit any aggregation tendency in autologous plasma and, therefore, all bovine rouleaux obtained in vitro are regarded as artificial. The present study reports the bovine RBC rouleau formation by either bovine or human fibrinogen and Ca2+ ions. The phenomenon was induced through two‐step cell incubation: in 0.9% NaCl and 1% bovine albumin at 37°C for 30 min followed by 20 hrs incubation at 30°C in the fresh solution supplemented with 10 mM glucose. Its mechanism is unknown. During the incubation the number of N‐glycolylneuraminic acid molecules per cell decreased from 48.1 to …44.9 amoles, which accounted for 7%. The treatment of RBCs with V. cholerae sialidase under the same conditions resulted in a 94% drop in the Neu5Gc quantity and did not induce the rouleau formation in the same fibrinogen preparation. The preliminary results rise a question whether the bulk of sialic acid is required in the aggregation of bovine erythrocytes under static conditions. Only a minor pool of Neu5Gc seems to be responsible for suppression of the phenomenon. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 435-438, 2004

Authors: Stoeff, S. | Vretenarska, M. | Stojanova, N. | Halacheva, S. | Jovtchev, Sv. | Tsaneva, M. | Galabova, T. | Trifonova, N. | Penev, M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: A probable conjunction of hemodynamic‐ and rheological variables was tested in hypertensive patients. Most pronounced correlation was fixed for some indices (sizable in value for plasma viscosity and small but distinct for blood pressure and ZSR) vs. total peripheral resistance. These results of a small scale elaboration are encouraging to get up a study extension.

Keywords: Arterial hypertension, blood rheology disturbance, total peripheral resistance

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 439-441, 2004

Authors: Konstantinova, Elena | Tolstaya, Tatiyana | Prishchep, Sergey | Milutin, Alexander | Mironova, Elena | Ivanova, Lilia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: It has been reported that dyslipidemia is associated with rheological and microcirculatory abnormalities in patients with ischaemic heart disease. However, it is not known how this system changes in men and women with ageing. In healthy young and middle‐aged subjects the following parameters were evaluated: total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL‐cholesterol levels, deformability of erythrocytes, red blood cell and platelet aggregations, blood and plasma viscosity, neutrophils' cytosolic [Ca$^{2+}]\tsub{i}$ and microviscosity of the bilayer's total lipid phase and the annular near‐protein zone of the membranes. Using intravital computer‐associated microscopic system we investigated the microcirculation of bulbar conjunctiva. Oxygen transfer …characteristics were measured with a Radiometer TCM2 monitor. It is evident from the data obtained that in men of middle age the total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels are higher in comparison with other groups. The rheological behavior of red blood cell and platelet aggregations in men differ from that in women. Neutrophils activation in healthy subjects was not recorded. Our results show that changes of the blood rheological properties of men 35–50 years old can lead to disturbances of the microcirculation. Show more

Keywords: Cholesterol, lipids, microcirculation, blood viscosity, erythrocytes, deformability, aggregation

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 443-448, 2004

Authors: Plotnikov, M.B. | Plotnikov, D.M. | Aliev, O.I. | Maslov, M.Yu. | Vasiliev, A.S. | Alifirova, V.M. | Tyukavkina, N.A.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The clinical trials on 31 patients with arteriosclerosis and I‐II stage discirculatory encephalopathy to assess an ability of Ascovertin to limit hemorheology abnormalities were carried out. In patients with discirculatory encephalopathy was a distinct increase in blood viscosity which was induced by disturbances of cell rheological factors: increase in aggregation of erythrocytes and decrease in their deformability were observed in comparison with indices in the group of healthy volunteers. No difference in plasma viscosity and fibrinogen was found. The treatment with Ascovertin in patients with discirculatory encephalopathy improved their attention, memory, mental performance, normalized sleep, releaved headache, decreased fatiquebility, led …to the decrease in blood viscosity values, the reduction of pathological erythrocyte hyper aggregation and the improvement of erythrocyte deformability. We partly connect this clinical effect and hemorheology activity of Ascovertin with its antioxidant property – there was found impressive lipid peroxidation suppression. No significant changes in hemorheological and lipid peroxidation indices were observed in patients without Ascovertin. Show more

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 3-4, pp. 449-452, 2004