Physical Properties of Red Cells as Related to Effects in Vivo. I. Increased Rigidity of Erythrocytes as Measured by Viscosity of Cells Altered by Chemical Fixation, Sickling and Hypertonicity

Changes in the physical properties of red cells were produced by chemical fixation, the sickling process, by suspension in hypertonic sodium chloride and by a combination of hypertonicity and sickling.

These resulted in a loss of deformability or increased rigidity of cells as indicated by a rise in viscosity of cell suspensions and hemolysates, more Newtonian flow, diminished filtration of cell suspensions through microfilters, resistance to packing by centrifugal force and abnormal susceptibility to mechanical trauma. The results of these studies show that in hypertonic sodium chloride all cells have an increased viscosity and are more rigid. The relationship of these physical properties to the behavior of cells in the microcirculation is discussed for normal subjects and those with sickle cell disease, including the effect on the kidney.