The microrheological behavior of young and old red blood cells in athletes.

Previous studies have shown a difference in rheological properties of young versus senescent RBCs. There are data that the athletes blood has more young RBCs than untrained people. Our research was a comparative study of the microrheological properties of young and old RBCs in athletes and in untrained people that was as control group. In athletes (men, n=24) and group of the control (men, n=20) the following parameters were measured: RBC aggregation (ARBC; Myrenne aggregometer) and deformability, RBC suspension and plasma viscosity as well as osmolarity, albumin, globulin and fibrinogen concentration, MCHC. Red cells were density (i.e., age) fractionated by the method of Murphy. After centrifugation the top 10% of the packed cell column (RBCtop, relatively young cells) and the bottom 10% (RBCbot, relatively old cells) were resuspended at 40.0+/-0.4% (in plasma) for aggregation, deformation and suspension viscosity measurements. It was found significant difference in aggregation and rigidity of the all RBC subpopulations between athletes and control group. The difference in aggregation was associated with reduced fibrinogen and increased ratio albumin/globulin in athletes. Besides, the correlation between aggregation RBCtop and RBCbot with fibrinogen was decreased in athletes. It was one of the cause of high fluidity of the RBCtop- and RBCbot suspensions and whole blood in athletes and more effective oxygen transport than in untrained people.

[Analysis of rheologic changes in blood based on a hemorheologic profile concept]. / Analiz reologicheskikh izmenenii krovi na osnove kontseptsii gemoreologicheskogo profilia.

Changes in blood rheology were studied in 106 female hypertensive patients. Basic parameters of blood rheology were recorded: total blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, Hct, erythrocyte aggregation and deformability, fibrinogen, albumin/globulin ratio, and Hct/eta ratio. This set of parameters was presented as the hemorrheological profile. Blood and plasma viscosities were increased in hypertensive patients in comparison with the controls. Therapy with pentoxifylline (600-800 mg/day for 4 weeks) or angiotensin II receptor antagonist losatran (50 mg/day for 4 weeks) resulted in positive changes in the hemorrheological profile.