The state of erythrocytes in intact and vagotomized rats of different ages after massive hemorrhage.

Acute massive hemorrhage in rats is accompanied by consistent changes in the morphofunctional characteristics of erythrocytes: diameter, area, polarization, form factor, and integral and specific optical density. Thus, young initially intact rats showed significant increases in the mean diameter, area, and integral optical density at particular time points after hemorrhage, along with increases in erythrocyte polarization and form factor. Vagotomized rats of the same age group responded to hemorrhage only with an increase in the form factor.