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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Endothelialized Microfluidics for Studying Microvascular Interactions in Hematologic Diseases
Published on: June 22, 2012
Blood flow and red blood cell deformation in nonuniform capillaries: effects of the endothelial surface layer
1Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724-5051, USA. secomb@u.arizona.edu
Objective:
A theoretical model is used to examine the mechanics of red blood cell (RBC) motion in nonuniform capillaries. The model includes effects of the endothelial surface layer (ESL), which is a layer of macromolecules adjacent to the endothelium and which impedes plasma flow.
Methods:
The motion of an RBC traversing a capillary with diameter varying sinusoidally between 5.4 microm and 7.4 microm is simulated numerically. The ESL is assumed to be 0.7-microm wide and deformable. Axisymmetric RBC shapes are assumed. Lubrication theory is used to analyze the motion of plasma around the RBC and through the ESL.
Results:
In a nonuniform capillary with no ESL, moving RBCs undergo large transient deformations and predicted flow resistance is substantially higher than in a uniform capillary with the same mean diameter. The presence of a deformable ESL reduces the transient fluid shear stresses and deformations experienced by RBCs traversing a nonuniform capillary. With an ESL, the increase in flow resistance resulting from nonuniformity is less than twofold versus three- to fourfold with no ESL in vessel geometries with the same ESL-free luminal region.
Conclusions:
The presence of the ESL reduces the impact of capillary irregularity on flow resistance and may protect RBCs traversing irregular capillaries from damage due to large, rapidly fluctuating external stresses.
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