EFFECTS OF HYDROXYETHYL STARCH WITH DIFFERENT MOLECULAR-WEIGHTS ON ERYTHROCYTES

A dosis-efficacy comparison of 3 different types of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) was carried out in vitro on a total of 24 male nonsmokers (12 healthy test persons, 12 patients with arteriosclerotic plaques in the bifurcation area of the common carotid artery). HES of medium molecular weights (MW) of 78,000, 107,000 and 216,000 dalton and a molar substitution (MS) of 0.5 (HES 78/0.5, HES 107/0.5 and HES 216/0.5) respectively was used in this comparison. The three substrates were added increasing dosage (up to 10 mg/ml) to the whole blood of the test persons/patients. Subsequently, the erythrocyte elongation at a shear-rate of 50/s as well as the erythrocyte membrane fluidity point were determined. The tests showed an indirect proportionality of the erythrocyte deformability to the medium molecular weight of HES.