Erythrocyte rheology in standarized experimental chronic renal failure

Abstract

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a heterogeneous disease of variable etiology and development, commonly associated with other pathologies. Therefore, studies of human red cell rheological alterations caused by CRF show different and controversial results. In order to avoid additional factors influencing blood rheology in CRF an experimental model was used. Ten inbred rats underwent surgical CRF and erythrocyte rheology (globular deformability, elastic modulus, and surface viscosity) during syndrome evolution and to biochemical parameters marking renal failure (serum creatinine, serum urea) were studied. The results obtained indicate that the syndrome reaches its greatest severity a week after surgical ablation has been completed, then declining to an level intermediate between the maximum and normal. Erythrocyte mechanical behavior follows a similar pattern, but with improvement beginning in the second week and evolving until it surpasses the normal values.