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SummaryPlatelet concentrates stored at room temperature deteriorate. The so-called storage lesion is characterised by morphological changes and a loss of functionality. To find an assay for early platelet activation in platelet concentrates the morphological score, β-TG release and P-selectin expression were determined, and compared with the amount of soluble P-selectin. An ELISA was used to quantify soluble P-selectin in the storage medium. We found a significant correlation between the amount of soluble P-selectin and the percentage of P-selectin positive platelets (flow-cytometric analysis) (r = 0.7449; p

SummaryThe influence of storage of platelet concentrates (PC) on the adhesion capacity of platelets was studied. Twenty-four PC, 12 prepared by the buffy coat (BC) method and 12 by the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) method, were stored for 7 days at room temperature. On days 1,3 and 7 of storage, the platelet adhesion capacity to subendothelial matrix (SEM) and collagen was studied in a rectangular perfusion system under flow conditions in conjunction with the platelet aggregation capacity after stimulation and the adenine nucleotide content. The platelet adhesion capacity to collagen was constant until day 3 of storage and decreased to about 80% of the starting value on day 7 of storage. The adhesion capacity to SEM, however, had already decreased on day 3 to about 75% of the value of day 1 and was even more decreased on day 7 to about 45% of the starting value. On day 1, platelets prepared by the BC method displayed a higher adhesion capacity to collagen and a higher aggregation capacity after stimulation by collagen alone or in combination with ADP, compared to platelets prepared by the PRP method. No other significant differences in adhesion or aggregation capacity were observed between the PC prepared by the two different methods. Both platelet adhesion and aggregation response decreased during storage, as did the total adenine nucleotide content. This study shows that platelet function, as measured by the aggregation and adhesion capacity, of platelets prepared by the PRP method is more severely impaired during the first 3 days of storage as compared to the function of platelets prepared by the BC method.

SummaryIt is well known that the function of platelets decreases progressively during storage of platelet concentrates at room temperature. To investigate this phenomenon in more detail, we have resuspended platelets that had been stored for 24 h or 72 h in fresh plasma, and we have measured the aggregation response and the ATP secretion. Conversely, the effect of plasma in which platelet concentrates (PC) had been stored for 24 h or 72 h, was tested on fresh platelets. Both the aggregation response to collagen and ADP and the collagen-induced ATP secretion of stored platelets partially recovered after incubation with fresh plasma (p These data show that stored platelets release nucleotides that inhibit platelet function in a reversible manner. This phenomenon may contribute to the decrease of platelet function during storage and the recovery of platelet function after transfusion.

SummaryThe energy metabolism of human platelets was studied during storage of platelet concentrates. The platelets were prepared from buffy coats in PVC/DEHP bags and stored for 7 days at room temperature at a concentration of 1.0 × 109/ml with horizontal agitation. The total amount of ATP and ADP decreased with 40% during this storage. This decrease correlated with the disc-tosphere transformation associated with the loss of platelet viability. During storage, the ability to incorporate 3H-adenosine into metabolic ATP and ADP (45 min at 37° C) decreased with 50%. Via measurement of the specific activity of actin-bound ADP and the amount of incorporated radioactivity into total ATP and ADP, we calculated the content of the metabolic and storage pools of ATP and ADP. The results indicate that the decrease in adenine nucleotide levels during storage was mainly caused by a depletion of ATP and ADP from the storage pool, whereas the metabolic pool remained nearly intact. After 7 days, the ATP : ADP ratio of the storage pool had decreased from 1.0 to 0.3, indicating hydrolysis of ATP.Diadenosine-triphosphate and diadenosine-tetraphosphate (present in the storage pool) decreased with only 30%, and the serotonin content remained nearly constant. Therefore, it is unlikely that the storage pool was completely secreted. Probably, the storage pool of nucleotides serves as an internal supply for maintaining the contents of the metabolic pool of ATP and ADP during storage of platelets.