The Relationship of Hemorheological Blood Values and Blood Velocity of Microcirculatory Bloodstream in Rats’ Skin Vessels

Abstract

Non-invasive study of blood rheology is relevant, but quite complex issue. When systemic blood viscosity and hematocrit levels deviate, blood flow indicators in different parts of microvasculature change. Purpose of the study—research of blood flow characteristics in skin microcirculatory bloodstream of rats obtained by high-frequency Doppler ultrasound (HFDU) with given changes in rheological blood indicators. The studies were carried out on pubescent male Wistar rats. 3 experimental groups were formed. Group 1 (n = 21) “Hemodilution”—viscosity 1.99 ± 0.02 mPa*s, hematocrit 31.48 ± 0.31%. Group 2 (n = 32) “Norma”—animals with unchanged blood levels—viscosity 2.84 ± 0.03 mPa*s, hematocrit 41.60 ± 0.3%. Group 3 (n = 32) “Erythrocytosis”—viscosity 3.95 ± 0.04 mPa*s, hematocrit 54.56 ± 0.23%. Dynamic blood viscosity in vitro studies were carried out on oscillatory viscometer. In order to evaluate hematocrit level heparinized whole blood was centrifuged in glass capillaries using; hematocrit values were assessed taking into account sedimentation of formed elements column using a hematocrit reader card. Blood flow in skin microcirculatory bloodstream of rats` left thigh area was estimated by HFDU method using Minimax-Doppler-K hardware and software system, with ultrasound transducer (frequency 20 MHz). Statistical analysis showed the models are correct. Blood indicators of the animals in three experimental groups differed statistically and significantly in terms of blood viscosity and hematocrit. Discriminant analysis was used to determine the relations between rheological blood parameters and characteristics of blood velocity in microcirculatory bloodstream which made it possible to identify the most significant characteristics of blood flow that tend to change depending on altered blood composition. These include: mean systolic velocity Vas (p < 0.01), mean velocity Vam (p < 0.001), mean volume velocity Qam (p < 0.001), vascular resistance index RI (p < 0.01) and the percentage of blood cells moving in low-speed H’ (p = 0.03). The reliability of selected characteristics was checked with one-way ANOVA; and their significance in determining membership in “Hemodilution”, “Norma” or “Erythrocytosis” groups according to HFDU data was confirmed. Based on this analysis classification functions were generated for non-invasive dynamic blood viscosity determination according to Doppler ultrasound data.