Improvement
in blood fluidity characteristics via Phlogenzym -An in vitro pilot
study
Saradeth1
T., Quittan2 M., Ghanem2 A. H., Ernst3
E. Improvement in blood fluidity characteristics via Phlogenzym -An
in vitro pilot study. Perfusion 1995: Jahrgang 8, Nr. 6, pp.
196-198. PZ 4 (17-06-2)
1 University Clinic for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Ludwig-Maximilians.
University, Munich, Germany. 2 University Clinic for Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Vienna, General Hospital,
Austria. 3 Centre for Complementary Health Studies, Postgraduate
Medical School, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
The goal of this in vitro study was to
establish whether Phlogenzym® (a mixture of proteolytic
enzymes) alters hemorheological variables in the blood of healthy
volunteers.
Twelve healthy test subjects with a mean age of 32.1 ± 6.1 years (10
men, 2 women, no smokers) consented to having a single sample of
blood taken from a cubital vein. Following anticoagulation with EDTA
and the addition of Phlogenzym® at various doses (18, 36,
71, 107, 214 mg/ml), hematocrit, plasma viscosity, serum viscosity,
fibrinogen, native and standardized blood viscosity, erythrocyte
aggregation and filterability were measured in vitro.
As compared with control blood (with constant hematocrit values),
significant reductions in plasma viscosity, the native and
standardized blood viscosity (at three different shear rates) and of
erythrocyte aggregation were found following even a minimum
concentration of 18 ml/ml Phlogenzym®. Erythrocyte
filterability was only increased numerically. Aside from the effects
on fibrinogen, a 12-fold increase in the concentration of Phlogenzym®
(214 ml/ml) demonstrated only insignificant changes and even
revealed a slight deterioration in blood fluidity as compared with
the control blood (samples without Phlogenzym® ).
These results indicate, at least in part, that there is a
dose-dependent increase in the in vitro fluidity of the blood as a
result of the activity of the Phlogenzym®. These findings
will require further investigation via controlled clinical trials.
Keywords: hemorheology, fibrinolysis, volunteers, in vitro study,
Phlogenzym®