STUDIES ON THE PRESERVATION OF BLOOD: I. GLYCOLYTIC BEHAVIOR OF BLOOD DURING STORAGE AT 5 °C. IN A MEDIUM CONTAINING AN EXCESS OF GLUCOSE

Abstract

The chemical changes that occur in erythrocytes stored at 5 °C. in citrate–glucose medium have been studied. Glycolysis remains normal during the first two weeks of storage. About the 12th to 15th day an impairment in the system occurs at a stage in the glycolytic system before the production of diphosphoglycerate, thus causing a decrease of the concentration of diphosphoglycerate and an accumulation of pyruvic acid. From this time on, the over-all glycolytic activity of the cells is progressively decreased. These indications of failure could not be reversed or retarded by resuspension of the stored erythrocytes in fresh plasma, nor could the onset of failure be made to occur earlier by suspending fresh cells in 'old' plasma.