The importance of hemoglobin contents on viscosity of liposome encapsulated hemoglobin suspensions

Abstract

The viscosities of pig hemoglobin solutions and liposome encapsulated pig hemoglobin (LEH) suspensions were systematically measured as a function of shear rates, temperature, hematocrits of LEH suspensions, concentrations of hemoglobin solutions and hemoglobin contents in LEH suspensions. Newtonian flow behavior of hemoglobin solution is observed. Moreover, the viscosity values of the solutions linearly decrease as the solution warms from 4°C to 37°C, but non‐linearly increase with an increase in the concentration of hemoglobin in solutions. In contrast to hemoglobin solutions, LEH suspensions show non‐Newtonian flow behavior at all tested shear rates. The viscosity values of LEH suspensions non‐linearly decrease as the solution warms from 4°C to 37°C, but increase with an increase of hematocrit and hemoglobin content of solutions. The above mentioned non‐linear flow behavior of LEH suspensions is strongly dependent on the hemoglobin contents in suspensions. Moreover, LEH suspensions with hemoglobin contents of 7.2 g/dl is Theologically the most suitable suspensions for further applications.