Effect of Additions to ACD Blood on Erythrocyte Preservation.

Abstract

Based on the working hypothesis that the deterioration of erythrocytes during storage may be due to enzymatic processes affecting the cell membrane, expts. were carried out in which a variety of compounds known to modify enzymatic reactions were added to ACD blood. The effect of these additions on the rate of development of osmotic fragility (hemolysis in 0.6% NaCl soln.) was detd. The "in vitro survival time" (resistance toward 0.6% NaCl soln.) of red cells was considerably shortened by a number of compounds, for example by NaF, which also prevented the utilization of glucose, delayed the rate of increase of inorganic phosphate during storage, but had no effect on the gradual increase of plasma K concns. The most promising results in retarding the development of osmotic fragility were obtained with 10-(2-dimethylamino-propyl)phenothiazine. ACD blood from 55 donors showed on exposure to 0.6% NaCl soln. after 21-days storage, 5-23%, and after 42 days, 20-58% hemolysis. The addition of the phenothiazine derivative (0.4 m/1. blood) retarded the development of osmotic fragility considerably, so that after 21 days there was observed 0.4-4%, after 42 days, 0.6-4.5%, and after 90 days, 26-39% hemolysis when the blood samples were added to 200 volumes of 0.6% NaCl soln. The addition of the phenothiazine derivative to ACD blood which had been stored for various periods of time did not modify or reverse the osmotic fragility existing at the time of addition, but showed a marked protective action against further deterioration. See original for a discussion of the importance of this finding and for further data (5 tables, 1 graph). The phenothiazine derivative (0.4 m/1. blood) was found to inhibit plasma lipase (with tri-butyrin as substrate) 20%.