A NEW ADDITIVE SOLUTION CONTAINING PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE (PEP) FOR PLASMA AND LEUKOCYTE POOR RED CELL CONCENTRATES I. PEP for Red Cells Preservation as a Protein-Free-Medium

A NEW ADDITIVE SOLUTION CONTAINING PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE (PEP) FOR PLASMA AND LEUKOCYTE POOR RED CELL CONCENTRATES I. PEP for Red Cells Preservation as a Protein-Free-Medium Masayuki Shiba1), Shigeru Sasakawa1), Naotaka Hamasaki2), Shinichirou Uchiumi3 and Masaru Shimizu4 1) Japanese Red Cross Central Blood Center 2) Department of Biochemistry, Fukuoka University, School of Medicine 3) Ube Industries, Co. Ltd. 4) Transfusion Service, Tokyo Women's Medical College In recent blood banking, a totally improved red cell product is required, such as, leukocyte depletion for decreasing of transfusion reaction and maintenance of both ATP, for posttransfusional viability, and 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (2, 3-DPG), for oxygen-delivering, are necessary. Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is known to increase both ATP and 2, 3-DPG levels in red cells. We applied it to the additive solution as a protein-free-medium for the preservation of plasma and leukocyte poor red cell concentrates. Plasma and leukocyte poor red cell concentrates were prepared by re-centrifugation (4,000G, 6 minutes). Over 80% of leukocytes were removed and 60ml of plasma was collected from 1 unit of concentrated red cells (400ml collection). During 6 weeks storage, ATP and 2, 3-DPG levels of stored red cells in the new additive solution containing maltose, citrate, phosphate, adenine and PEP, were kept very well. After 6 weeks storage, ATP and 2, 3-DPG levels were 80% and 50% of fresh ones, respectively, by incubation at 37C for 30 minutes. Furthermore, the stored red cell shapes were retained discoid and hemolysis decreased. This additive solution enabled red cell preparations to be stored at least for up to 42 days and to provide an excellent red cell product, which was advantageous for patients to receive red cells with a normal oxygen affinity, a long shelf life in vivo and decreasing of transfusion reaction.