Dynamics of Micro-Rheological Properties of Red Blood Cells in Animals on the Background of Hypothermia

Abstract

Context: Purpose: to find out age-related changes in the micro-rheological characteristics of red blood cells
in rats after hypothermia. The study included 88 healthy outbred male rats at the age of 6 months. Prior to
inclusion in the study, all rats were healthy and did not participate in the studies. Animals experienced an
episode of hypothermia - within 1 hour at a temperature of -10º?. The control group consisted of 32 healthy
outbred male rats of a similar age. The study was conducted using biochemical, hematological and statistical
research method. In rats subjected to hypothermia, an increase in the activity level of free radical oxidation
processes in plasma lipids and red blood cells was found. Over time, a decrease in the level of erythrocytediscocytes
was observed in the blood of the observed rats, which was most pronounced in rats one month
after hypothermia. This was accompanied by an increase in their level of changed reversibly and irreversibly
erythrocyte forms and an increase in spontaneous aggregation of red blood cells. In rats, after an episode of
hypothermia, a gradual weakening of the plasma antioxidant defense develops. In these rats, aggregation
readiness and the degree of change in the surface properties of red blood cells progressively increased.
Apparently, this creates a risk in animals of a progressive increase in morbid burden and weakening of the
whole organism in relation to resistance to negative environmental influences.