Rejuvenation and Freezing of Outdated Stored Human Red Cells

Abstract

Red cells stored in acid citrate dextrose for about 23 days, incubated with pyruvate, inosine, glucose, and phosphate for 60 minutes at 37°C, frozen with 40 per cent wt/vol of glycerol, stored at -80°C for 12 months, and then thawed and washed, had normal oxygen-transport function and 24-hour post-transfusion survivals of about 75 per cent. After red cells had been stored in acid citrate dextrose at 4°C for about 29 days, incubated with pyruvate, inosine, glucose, phosphate, and adenine, glycerolized, frozen, thawed, and washed, they had normal oxygen-transport function and 24-hour post-transfusion survivals of about 80 per cent. About 90 per cent of the red cells were recovered after rejuvenation, freezing, thawing, and washing. The washing procedure removed the added glycerol, products of hemolysis, the potentially toxic materials used for rejuvenation, the anticoagulant preservative, isoagglutinins, protein and nonprotein plasma components, and at least 95 per cent of the white cells and platelets.