Abstract
Blood leeching is an ancient method of bloodletting, which has been used extensively in the treatment of various disorders since centuries in the natural medicine. The purpose of the present study was to see if, apart from the bloodletting benefit, the leech treatment effects the hemorheological properties. Whole blood from 23 patients (19 women and 4 men) with different diseases (cardiovascular and cerebral diseases, peripheral vascular disorders, etc.) was investigated before and after application of ten leeches on the lumbar region and one month after the first measurement. Whole blood viscoelasticity, plasma viscosity, whole blood and plasma density and hematocrit were determined as hemorheological parameters. The results showed that the whole blood viscoelasticity is significantly decreased after leech treatment although no significant changes of hematocrit and plasma viscosity could be observed. The decrease of blood viscoelasticity values was even more marked after one month of treatment. They correlated well with changes in aggregation tendency and flexibility of the red blood cells (RBC). These results suggest, that leeching is not a hemodilution effect alone. Moreover, apart from rendering blood noncoagulable by acting as antithrombin, the salivary gland secretion of these animals can also have a lasting effect on the hemorheological properties.
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