Restoration of Defective Oxygen-transport Function of Stored Red Blood Cells by Addition of Inosine

Abstract

During storage of acid-citrate-dextrose-blood the oxygen affinity of the haemoglobin is increased; i.e. the oxygen dissociation curve is shifted to the left. In the meantime the red cell ATP and 2,3-diphospho-glycerate levels are decreased. In the present investigation it is shown that these changes are reversed by addition of inosine. Thus the oxygen-transport function of stored blood seems to be related to the intracorpuscular ATP and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels.