EFFECTS OF ULTRASOUND ON AGGLUTINATION AND AGGREGATION OF HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES IN-VITRO

A new experimental approach has shown that human erythrocytes of different blood groups were induced to form more agglutinates at a sound pressure of 70-240 kPa in vitro than the control erythrocytes. Similar effects were observed for alcian blue and dextran stimulated aggregation and for spontaneous aggregation, The increase of agglutination or aggregation was reversible, Heating and acoustic cavitation were shown not to be responsible for this effect, Bulk fluid movement produced by ultrasound irradiation appeared to cause the described phenomenon. Possible underlying mechanisms connecting the acoustic streaming and agglutination or aggregation behaviour of the cells are proposed.