Influence of adsorbed plasma proteins on erythrocyte rheological properties: in vitro and ex vivo studies

Abstract.

The influence of plasma protein adsorption on the mechanical properties characterizing erythrocyte behaviour under flow was studied in human and rats. The deformability index, elastic modulus and surface viscosity were measured by laser diffractometry. In in vitro studies, human and rat erythrocytes were washed to remove their original protein coating, and then incubated in saline-diluted plasma media. For erythrocytes incubated in the most diluted solutions (plasma/saline 1:3, v/v), the deformability index increased 30% for both species (human, P<0.01 and rat, P<0.2); the elastic modulus decreased 20% (human, P<0.05) and 60% (rat, P<0.01); and surface viscosity decreased 20% (human, P<0.05) and 40% (rat, P<0.01), relative to values for erythrocytes incubated in pure plasma. Ex vivo experiments were performed using rats. Plasma proteins were diluted replacing 15% volemic plasma by saline in three consecutive plasmapheresis steps. The rheological properties of erythrocytes, tested after each step, followed the general trends of the in vitro pattern. These results suggest that the decrease in plasma protein concentration affects blood rheology in two ways. The first is the well known decrease in plasma viscosity, and the second is an improvement of erythrocyte deformability, as has been shown in this work. Thus, a new argument supporting the benefits of normovolemic hemodilution in patients with poor peripheral perfusion is provided.