An additional circulatory system: Vascular-Interstitial closed electric circuits (VICC)

The construction and activation of a previously described additional circulatory system for long-distance transport in tissue is summarized. Metabolism or injury produces electrochemical polarization of tissue. This driving force produces exchange of material by electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis in tissue and cellular matrices with fixed surface charges. These transports are described over vascular-intersititial closed electric circuits (VICC) because blood vessels function as relatively insulated conducting cables and connect with the conducting tissue fluids over capillaries. Necessary electron tranfer takes place at sites of segmental capillary contractions by the superimposed electric field via globular proteins known to exchange electrons in the endothelial cellular membranes. The effect of field-activated VICC is here demonstrated by accumulation of granulocytes in vivo as an electrophoretic process, which gives a mechanistic and energetic logical explanation of so-called leukotaxis.