Variability in erythrocyte deformability among various mammals.
Abstract: Deformability is an important aspect of erythrocyte physiology and has been extensively studied using human red cells. We have studied erythrocytes from 25 different animals using a viscometric technique. Erythrocyte diameters ranged from 3.3 microns in the goat to 11.4 microns for the elephant seal. Erythrocytes from most species deformed readily when a fluid shear stress was applied. A deformability index of the stressed cell defined as (length - width)/(length + width) correlated with cell size. The erythrocytes of four animals (pygmy goat, goat, Batanga horse, and miniature horse) deformed less than most species. Camel and llama erythrocytes, which were ellipsoidal, did not deform but oriented in the stress field.
Publication Date: 1979-05-01 PubMed ID: 443394DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.1979.236.5.H725Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
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This research investigates the deformability of red blood cells (erythrocytes) across 25 different animal species, revealing a connection between the size of the cell and its ability to change shape, with certain species showing unique deformability characteristics.
Understanding Erythrocyte Deformability
Erythrocyte deformability refers to the ability of red blood cells to change shape. It’s an important feature of these cells, enabling them to squeeze through the narrowest blood vessels to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. This research broadens the knowledge on this topic, which was mostly focused on human cells, by studying erythrocytes from 25 different animals.
- The team used a viscometric technique, a method that measures viscosity or resistance to flow in a fluid, to examine how each species’ erythrocytes responded under fluid shear stress – a form of stress that occurs when fluid flows over a stationary object.
- The sizes of the erythrocytes studied varied greatly, ranging from 3.3 microns in the goat to 11.4 microns for the elephant seal.
Results and Findings
The results provided insights into the variability of red blood cell deformability across various species and how it correlated with cell size.
- Most species’ erythrocytes deformed easily under fluid shear stress. When they examined this further, they found a positive correlation between size (diameter) of the cell and its deformability.
- However, the erythrocytes of four animal species (pygmy goat, goat, Batanga horse, and miniature horse) showed less deformability than most of the other species studied.
- The erythrocytes of camels and llamas, which were already ellipsoidal (oval-like) in shape, behaved differently. Instead of deforming under shear stress, they oriented themselves in the direction of the stress field.
Implications and Future Directions
The wide-ranging responses to shear stress across different species underline the importance of considering specific physiological adaptations when studying erythrocyte behavior. The results provide a deeper understanding of red cell physiology which could be leveraged for therapeutic uses in human and veterinary medicine. Further research into the molecular and structural factors affecting deformability could explain the unique behaviors of some species’ cells and refine our understanding of erythrocyte physiology.
Cite This Article
APA
Smith JE, Mohandas N, Shohet SB.
(1979).
Variability in erythrocyte deformability among various mammals.
Am J Physiol, 236(5), H725-H730.
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.1979.236.5.H725 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Camelids, New World / blood
- Camelus / blood
- Erythrocytes / cytology
- Erythrocytes / physiology
- Goats / blood
- Horses / blood
- Humans
- Reference Values
- Seals, Earless / blood
- Species Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 18 times.- Pesen T, Haydaroglu M, Capar S, Parlatan U, Unlu MB. Comparison of the human's and camel's red blood cell deformability by optical tweezers and Raman spectroscopy.. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023 Sep;35:101490.
- Bogdanova A, Kaestner L. Editorial: Comparative biology of red blood cells.. Front Physiol 2022;13:1103647.
- Ataullakhanov FI, Martinov MV, Shi Q, Vitvitsky VM. Significance of two transmembrane ion gradients for human erythrocyte volume stabilization.. PLoS One 2022;17(12):e0272675.
- Windberger U, Auer R, Seltenhammer M, Mach G, Skidmore JA. Near-Newtonian Blood Behavior - Is It Good to Be a Camel?. Front Physiol 2019;10:906.
- Wise LM, Bodaan CJ, Stuart GS, Real NC, Lateef Z, Mercer AA, Riley CB, Theoret CL. Treatment of limb wounds of horses with orf virus IL-10 and VEGF-E accelerates resolution of exuberant granulation tissue, but does not prevent its development.. PLoS One 2018;13(5):e0197223.
- McConnell ED, Wei HS, Reitz KM, Kang H, Takano T, Vates GE, Nedergaard M. Cerebral microcirculatory failure after subarachnoid hemorrhage is reversed by hyaluronidase.. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2016 Sep;36(9):1537-52.
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