Separation of diabetic erythrocytes from cultured endothelium by physiological shear force

Abstract

Erythrocyte-endothelial interaction has been postulated as a potential etiologic factor of vascular pathology in diabetes mellitus. To examine this hypothesis, red cells from diabetics with a wide range of vascular disease were allowed to contact cultured endothelial monolayers and then were subjected to shear stresses calculated to be in the physiological range for capillaries, venules and arterioles to assess whether erythrocyte-endothelial binding is sustained in conditions simulating in vivo flow. Diabetic red cells, like control cells, do not demonstrate adherence to cultured endothelium under conditions which resemble in vivo flow dynamics in venous,capillary or arterial regions of the circulation. This suggests that erythrocyte-endothelial adherence is not likely to be the primary factor in initiation of vessel wall degeneration.