Blood viscosity in broilers: influence on pulmonary hypertension syndrome

Elevation in apparent blood viscosity may enhance the pulmonary hypertension that leads to pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) and ascites in fast-growing broilers. We investigated the importance of packed cell volume (PCV) and shear rate in modifying apparent viscosity of the blood from broilers assigned to normal, preascites, and ascites groups. Apparent viscosity of broiler blood increased at all shear rates as PCV increased; the increase in apparent viscosity became greater as the shear rate decreased at PCV above 0.30. At the PCV of normal broilers (0.30 or below), apparent viscosity was nearly shear rate independent, at least down to 11.25 per second, the lowest shear rate studied. Apparent viscosity, at any given PCV and shear rate, was significantly lower in the blood of birds with ascites than in normal birds; however, the relative viscosity was not different between those groups, indicating that lower plasma viscosity in the birds with PHS was responsible for the finding. The results show that the principal factor responsible for increased apparent viscosity of blood in birds with PHS is the increase in PCV. The increased resistance to flow of blood as the result of higher blood viscosity may contribute to the pulmonary hypertension.