Ultrasonic absorption in deer blood

It has been shown that ultrasonic absorption of sickle cells obtained from human patients can be correlated with the aggregation state of sickle cell hemoglobin within the intact cells. We have extended this investigation to red blood cells obtained from white-tailed deer which also exhibit the sickling phenomenon. In contrast to the sickling phenomenon in humans, the sickling of deer erythrocytes occurs when the oxygen tension and pH of the blood are high. Nevertheless, remarkable similarities exist between the process of hemoglobin polymerization which produces sickling in both species. We have measured the ultrasonic absorption as a function of blood pH and oxygen tension and compare it with the morphological changes. High pH and oxygen tension which enhance sickling caused an increase in ultrasonic absorption. Low pH and low oxygen tension which retard sickling reduced ultrasonic absorption. The magnitude of the change in ultrasonic specific absorption coefficient under extreme conditions has been found to be more than two fold at a frequency of 15 MHz.