Rheology of suspensions of normal and hardened erythrocytes and their mixtures

Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Rheol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1122/1.549608· OSTI ID:6565418

Carr, R; Cockelet, G R

The steady-flow rheological properties of suspensions of mixtures of normal and glutaraldehyde-hardened human red blood cells in albumin-containing saline were determined in the shear rate range of 0.1 to 1500 sec/sup -1/, for total cell volume concentrations (hematocrits) between 30 and 43.5% and over the entire range of normal-to-hardened cell ratios. Suspensions of only hardened cells were Newtonian at lower shear rates, becoming dilatant at high shear rates. Suspensions of just normal cells were pseudoplastic, becoming Newtonian at high shear rates. Suspensions of mixtures of the two types of cells showed mixed behavior, dependent on the mixture composition. For suspensions with a constant total cell volume concentration, the apparent viscosity at a given shear rate is a nonlinear function of the fraction of the cells (f/sub H/) which are hardened. Below a critical value of f/sub H/, viscosity is a linear function of f/sub H/, but the slope is low. Above the critical f/sub H/, viscosity increases rapidly with f/sub H/. The critical f/sub H/ is associated with a critical hardened cell volume concentration where interactions between hardened cells become significant. It is expected that steady-flow rheological measurements usually will not provide a sensitive method for determining changes in erythrocyte deformability distribution in blood or related suspensions, unless the abnormal cells are rigid and greatly distorted from the normal cell shape.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76EV03490
• OSTI ID: 6565418
• Journal Information: J. Rheol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Rheol.; (United States) Vol. 25:1; ISSN JORHD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

551000* -- Physiological Systems
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALBUMINS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ERYTHROCYTES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
RHEOLOGY
SHEAR
SUSPENSIONS
VISCOSITY