Haemolysis of human erythrocytes in dextran solutions during rapid flow in capillaries

Abstract

Erythrocytes suspended in different viscosity solutions of dextran in Hanks’ solution have been exposed to shear stress in capillaries of radius ranging from 0.125 to 0.30 mm and lengths ranging from 1.0 to 100 cm. A high degree of lysis resulted when the cells were stressed at around 3 kN/m². Lysis occurred in a time less than 0.45 ms. Turbulence played no part in the cell breakage and it is shown that shear stress accounts well for the observed effects. When the stress was decreased to the region of 1.5 kN/m² little lysis was observed even though the exposure time was increased by orders of magnitude on 0.45 ms.