Clinical Physiology: Microcalorimetric Measurements of Heat Production in Whole Blood and Blood Cells of Normal Persons

Abstract

Bandmann, U., Monti M. & Wadsö, I. Microcalorimetric Measurements of Heat Production in Whole Blood and Blood Cells of Normal Persons. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Inivest. 35, 121–127, 1975.

Microcalorimetric measurements have been made of the heat production in whole blood and its major cell fractions. All measurements were made with samples from normal subjects. The average heat effect value found (±S.D.) for whole blood was 62 ± 7 mW/I. The value obtained for erythrocytes was 82 ± 6 mW per liter of packed cells suspended in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. For lymphocytes and for polymorphonuclear leukocytes heat effect values were 4.6 ± 1.8 and 1.2 ± 0.4 pW/cell, respectively, for cells suspended in buffer. For plasma suspensions corresponding values were 2.2 ±1.4 and 3.5 ± 1.0 pW/cell, respectively. For thrombocytes suspended in plasma the heat effect value was 59 ± 8 fW/cell. Heat production in cell-free plasma was close to zero. Using heat effect values determined for the different cell fractions, values could be calculated for whole blood samples which were in full agreement with the values obtained by direct measurements of whole blood.

Key Words:

• Calorimetry
• crythrocyte metabolism
• leukocyte metabolism
• thrombocytc metabolism