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The fluidity of blood is a significant factor for the functioning and maintenance of the microcirculation. In chronic arterial occlusive disease (COAD) the fluidity of erythrocytes is markedly reduced assessed by flow rates through a 5-micrometer pore filter system in simulation of microcirculatory conditions. Risk factors such as heavy smoking, hyperfibrinogenaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia as well as hyperfibrinogenaemia result in flow rates similar to those in patients with COAD. Isolated coagulation phenomena typical for hypercoagulability in such patients produce significantly reduced flow rates and indicate the necessity for therapeutic elimination of risk factors as well as improvement of erythrocyte fluidity, reduction of platelet hyper-reagibility and removal of hypercoagulability. Pentoxifylline effects increases in erythrocyte fluidity, decreases platelet hyper-reactivity and plasmatic hypercoagulability, and improves the fibrinolytic capacity of blood in patients with COAD.
Angelkort et al. (1981) studied this question.