It is suggested that blood viscosity remains constant through the action of an autoregulatory mechanism. The sensors and control loops correspond to two types of viscoreceptors, one sensing blood viscosity in large vessels, and another red cell rigidity in small vessels. The presence of rigid cells leads to a decrease of hematocrit to a level corresponding to below-normal blood viscosity in order to compensate for the increased peripheral vascular resistance caused by rigid cells. A malfunction of the beta system will lead to, or contribute to essential hypertension. The structure of the sensors is unknown and one can only specu late on the possible modes of function.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Dintenfass, L.: Blood Microrheology: Viscosity Factors in Blood Flow, Ischaemia and Thrombosis . London, Butterworths, 1971.
2.
Dintenfass, L.: Rheology of Blood in Diagnostic and Preventive Medicine. London and Boston, Butterworths , 1976.
3.
Dintenfass, L.: Clinical applications of blood viscosity factors and functions: Especially in the cardiovascular disorders. Biorheology, 16: 69, 1979.
4.
Dintenfass, L.: Considerations of the internal viscosity of red cell and its effects on the viscosity of whole blood. Angiology, 13: 333, 1962.
5.
Dintenfass, L.: Rheology of the packed red blood cells containing haemoglobins A-A, S-A, and S-S. J. Lab. Clin. Med., 64: 594, 1964.
6.
Dintenfass, L.: Internal viscosity of the red cell and a blood viscosity equation. Nature (London ), 219: 956, 1968.
7.
Dintenfass, L.: Blood rheology as diagnostic and predictive tool in cardiovascular diseases. Angiology, 25: 365, 1974.
8.
Dintenfass, L., Julian, D., Miller, G.: Viscosity of blood in normal subjects and in patients suffering from coronary occlusion and arterial thrombosis. Am. Heart J., 71: 587, 1966.
9.
Dintenfass, L., Read, J.: Pathogenesis of heart failure in acute-on-chronic respiratory failure. Lancet, 1: 570, 1968.
10.
Dintenfass, L.: Blood-pressure and blood viscosity in coronary heart disease. Lancet, 1: 327, 1977.
11.
Dintenfass, L.: Malfunction of viscosity-receptors (viscoreceptors) as the cause of hypertension. Am. Heart J., 92: 260, 1976.
12.
Dintenfass, L.: Hypothesis of viscoreceptors: Malfunction of viscoreceptors and viscosity-controllers in hypertension and polycythaemia . Bibliotheca Anat. (Basel), No. 16: 478, 1977 .
13.
Dintenfass, L.: Elevation of plasma viscosity and of aggregation of red cells in melanoma metastasis. Biorheology, 15: 99, 1978.
14.
Dintenfass, L.: Some aspects of haemorheology of metastasis in malignant melanoma. Haematologia, 11: 301, 1977.
15.
Dintenfass, L.: The role of blood viscosity in occlusive arterial disease. Pract. Cardiol.5: 77, 1979.
Dintenfass, L., Girolami, A.: Rigidity of red cells in essential hypertension . Haemostasis, 7: 298, 1978.
18.
Girolami, A. , Cella, G., Burul, S., et al.: La viscosita ematica nell'ipertensione arteriosa. Prog. Med.Napoli, 30: 914, 1974.
19.
Dintenfass, L. , Clifton-Bligh, P.: Blood viscosity factors in diabetic retinopathy . Abstracts of the European Conference on Microcirculation , Sardinia, 1978.
20.
Dintenfass, L.: Blood viscosity factors in severe nondiabetic and diabetic retinopathy. Biorheology, 14: 151, 1977.
21.
Dintenfass, L. : Considerations of the internal viscosity of the red cells and of the rheology of the red cell membrane, and of the effect of these factors on blood flow. In Theoretical and Clinical Haemorheology. Edited by H.H. Hartert, A.L.Copley. Berlin -Heidelberg, Springer-Verlag , 1971, p. 174.
22.
Dintenfass, L.: Internal viscosity of the red cell: Problems associated with definition of plasma viscosity and effective volume of red cells in the blood viscosity equation. Biorheology, 12: 253, 1975.
23.
Dintenfass, L.: Theoretical aspects and clinical applications of the blood viscosity equation containing a term for the internal viscosity of the red cell. Blood Cells, 3: 367, 1977.
