COMPARATIVE VISCOSITY AND ERYTHROCYTES DISAGGREGATION SHEAR-STRESS OFBLOOD-RADIOGRAPHIC CONTRAST-MEDIA MIXTURES IN 3 MAMMALIAN-SPECIES

We compared blood viscosity and red blood cells (RBC) disaggregation s hear stress in three mammalian species (humans, pigs and sheep) before and after adding water-soluble iodinated contrast media (CM): Ioxagla te (ionic CM) and Iopromide (non ionic CM). The two CMs had a diluting effect on the blood of the three species, which resulted in a viscosi ty decrease at all shear rates. However, viscosity rose slightly at lo w shear rates (in relation to increase of RBC aggregation) and low CM concentrations (10%), regardless of the ionic or non ionic nature of t he CM. The two CMs had a similar proaggregant effect in human and pig' s bloods. The proaggregant effect was slightly more pronounced with th e ionic Ch?. We concluded that the pig is more suitable than the sheep for in vivo assessment of blood/CM mixture.