STUDIES ON THE PRESERVATION OF BLOOD AT LOW TEMPERATURES I. THE OXYGE-NCARRYING CAPACITY OF THE PRESERVED BLOOD

• Published in: Journal of the Japan Society of Blood Transfusion Vol. 5; no. 6; pp. 316 - 323
• Main Author: ASANUMA, Eiichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy 1959
• ISSN: 0546-1448; 1883-8383
• DOI: 10.3925/jjtc1958.5.316

In order to ascertain the functional changes of preserved blood, the O2-carrying capacity of human and rabbit blood in A. C. D. solution was determined at various storage temperatures. The volume of oxygen absorbed in the blood was measured by the use of Yuhu's microgasmanometer and the degree of spontaneous haemolysis in the sample was estimated with Shimazu's spectrophotometer, The storage temperatures chosen were -5°C, 5°C, 20°C, and 37°C. The blood stored at -5°C was usually not frozen but merely supercooled. The O2-carrying capacity of Hb isolated from red cells by freeze-thawing method and stored in A. C. D. solution was also investigated. The results obtained were as follows: The O2-carrying capacity of rabbit whole blood stored at -5°C was less affected than that stored at 5°C. The degree of spontaneous haemolysis of rabbit blood stored at 5°C was greater than that stored at -5°C, as the period of storage was extended. In the case of human blood, however, the degree of spontaneous haemolysis of specimens stored at 5°C was less than that of those stored at -5°C, no significant difference in the O2-carrying capacity between those stored at these temperatures during the whole period of storage (7 weeks) having been observed. The O2-carrying capacity of human whole blood stored at 20°C or 37°C was affected more remarkably than that stored at 5°C. The O2-carrying capacity of Hb solution stored at 5°C was not impaired during the 40 days of storage, indicating that haemoglobin is relatively stable in the cold state.