Study of blood viscosity and erythrocyte parameters in diabetic patients using an artificial pancreas

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Abstract
Blood viscosity of poorly controlled insulin-requiring diabetic patients was determined at different shear rates (0.2–128 s-1) using a microviscometer of Couette type (LS30). Plasma viscosity was measured using an automatic capillary viscometer. Blood filterability was assessed using a whole blood filtration technique with 5 μm nucleopore filters. Erythrocyte ATP level was determined using lucifering-luciferase technique. Determinations of the rheological parameters were carried out before and during, the strict metabolic control of diabetes by means of an artificial pancreas. Normalization of blood glucose resulted generally, after a lag phase, in a lowering of blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and in an increase of whole blood filterability. These results suggest that the metabolic control of diabetes influences rheological parameters of blood and erythrocyte metabolism.