These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Experiment on "Discovery" STS 51-C: aggregation of red cells and thrombocytes in heart disease, hyperlipidaemia and other conditions.
    Author: Dintenfass L.
    Journal: Adv Space Res; 1989; 9(11):65-9. PubMed ID: 11537350.
    Abstract:
    The aim of this experiment was to study aggregation of red cells in the blood of patients with ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and (silent) cancer, and in two normal donors. Reconstituted blood using IgG was also used. The instrument, the automated slit-capillary photo-viscometer (100 kg weight) was set on the middeck of the Space Shuttle. An analogous instrument was at the Kennedy Space Center. Blood was obtained from donors, anticoagulated, and adjusted to haematocrit of 30% using native plasma. Experiments took place at 25 degrees C, during which blood was forced to flow in the slit formed by two parallel glass plates. Macro and microphotography was carried out at specific intervals controlled by a computer. During stasis, lasting 6 minutes, aggregates (or clumps) of the red cells were formed. Results indicated that red cell aggregates do form under zero-G; that such aggregates are smaller than the ones obtained at one-G; that morphology is different, the zero-G showing rouleaux while one-G showing usual sludge-like clumps of red cells in all severe disorders. Platelets appeared to remain monodisperse under zero-G. Assuming that these data can be confirmed, one could suggest that zero-G affects cell-cell interaction, and may consequently influence the internal microstructure of the cell membrane and of the receptors, as well as their activity. Gravitational studies may thus open a new door on immunology and haematology in general.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]