Development of standard tests to examine viscoelastic properties of blood of experimental animals for pediatric mechanical support device evaluation

We investigated the applicability of measuring the viscoelasticity of bovine, ovine, and porcine whole blood for the evaluation of sublethal damage to red blood cells (RBCs). An increase in blood viscosity and elasticity without changes in hematocrit and plasma viscosity would signify a decrease in RBC deformability. Blood viscoelasticity was assessed using a Vilastic Scientific viscoelastometer. Due to the natural absence of RBC aggregation and small RBC size in normal bovine and ovine blood, viscoelastic properties are less readily detected. However, we found that adjustment of blood hematocrit to a standard level of 40-50% allows for sensitive assessment of viscoelasticity in these blood types demonstrating a marked non-Newtonian behavior mostly related to RBC deformability. Porcine blood showed a pronounced non-Newtonian behavior at all tested hematocrit values, which makes it rheologically comparable to human blood. Both viscosity and elasticity were elevated after blood exposure to a uniform mechanical stress. RBCs rigidified by heat exposure demonstrated a loss of viscoelasticity dependence on shear rate. Measurements of blood viscoelasticity can be meaningful in bovine, ovine, and, especially, porcine blood, and can be used for evaluation of sublethal blood damage during in vitro and animal trials of heart-assist devices.