Modifications of the erythrocyte deformability alter the effect of temperature on the relative viscosity of human blood¹

Issue title: Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Biorheology. Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 27 July – 1 August 1981. Dedicated to Alex Silberberg

Guest editors: Alfred L. Copley

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rogausch, H.

Affiliations: Institute of Physiology, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 2, D-3550 Marburg, FRG

Note: [1] Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Ro 467/2)

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor H. Schmid-Schonbein

Abstract: The relative viscosity of normal red cell suspensions is independent of temperature at high shear rates. The relative viscosity of suspensions with normovolemic sphered erythrocytes having a reduced deformability, however, is higher at 37°C than at 20°C. It is concluded that the changes of the lipoprotein configuration within the erythrocyte membrane which are proposed to be involved in the disc-sphere-transformation of the red cell, depend on temperature and are responsible for the increased relative viscosity at 37°C.

Keywords: Erythrocyte deformability, temperature, disc-echinocyte transformation

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1982-191-227

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 237-244, 1982