Elevated plasma viscosity in extreme hemodilution increases perivascular nitric oxide concentration and microvascular perfusion.

We tested the hypothesis that high-viscosity (HV) plasma in extreme hemodilution causes wall shear stress to be greater than low-viscosity (LV) plasma, leading to enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO). The perivascular concentration of NO was measured in arterioles and venules and the tissue of the hamster chamber window model, subjected to acute extreme hemodilution, with a hematocrit (Hct) of 11% using Dextran 500 (n = 6) or Dextran 70 (n = 5) with final plasma viscosities of 1.99 +/- 0.

Relationship between erythrocyte aggregate size and flow rate in skeletal muscle venules.

In previous studies we showed that intravenous infusion of Dextran 500 in the rat causes blunting of the velocity profile of red blood cells in venules at low shear rates. To determine whether this blunting is associated with the formation of red blood cell aggregates, we measured the length and width of particles in the venular flow stream at systemic hematocrits up to 20% with a high-speed video camera and a new image analysis technique. Data were obtained at various shear rates under normal (nonaggregating) conditions as well as after infusion of Dextran 500.