Systemic alteration in vessel morphology and blood flow in zebrafish with reduced RBC hematocrit.

(A to D) Diameters of aISV: p = 0.046 (A), vISV: p = 0.036 (B), CA: p = 0.63 (C) and CV: p = 0.56 (D) as functions of the relative CA hematocrit in gata1 and control morphants. (E to F) Heart rate: p = 0.44 (E) and estimated flow rate: p = 0.86 (F) as functions of the relative CA hematocrit. Statistical significances of slopes in A to F were determined using regression t-test. (G) CFD model predictions of blood flow rates in CA (16.15, 16.15, 15.76 nL/min) and CV (16.21, 16.34, 16.06 nL/min) for WT (14% Ht), NoRBC1 (0% Ht) and NoRBC2 (0% Ht and 18% ISV diameter reduction). (H) CFD predictions of systolic pressure distribution maps in models WT, NoRBC1 and NoRBC2. (I) CFD predicted blood flow rates in the aISVs (-9.1% and -70% for NoRBC1 and NoRBC2, respectively, compared to WT) and vISVs (-15% and -61% for NoRBC1 and NoRBC2, respectively, compared to WT).