STUDIES ON THE PRESERVATION OF BLOOD: II. THE GLYCOLYTIC BEHAVIOR OF BLOOD DURING STORAGE

Abstract

The chemical changes that occur in erythrocytes when blood is admixed with isotonic sodium citrate and stored at 5 °C have been studied. When the residual glucose content of the red cells is depleted, about the fifth day of storage, the continuity of the glycolytic system is interrupted, as indicated by an abrupt decrease in the concentration of diphosphoglycerate and a rise in pyruvate. These changes can be retarded by the addition of glucose to the preservative medium at the beginning of storage or at any time before the residual glucose content becomes depleted. The nature and sequence of the chemical changes that occur during storage are the same whether the blood specimen is preserved in the defibrinated state or in the presence of citrate. Also these changes are the same, except in rate, at temperatures between 5° and 37 °C.