Viscoelastic and biochemical properties of erythrocytes during storage with SAG-M at +4 degrees C.

During storage at +4 degrees C, red blood cells undergo biochemical and physicochemical modifications, which alter their rheological characteristics especially the deformability. Even so until now not precisely defined deformability is undoubtedly a function of whole cell elasticity and viscosity. In a previous study we have investigated changes of elasticity of whole RBCs during a 6 weeks storage by quasi-static experiments using our Cell-Elastometer method. Since the changes in deformability we observed with that experimental approach have not been significant we extended the hard/software capabilities of this instrument to enable dynamic measurements also. We applied this modified hard-/software set-up to examine again changes in viscoelasticity of erythrocytes from concentrates during a six weeks storage at a blood bank. The cells were resuspended in CPD-SAG-M and stored at +4 degrees C. Quasi-static and dynamic experiments were performed on stored erythrocytes and showed for both significant changes in elasticity and viscoelasticity from the fourth week on. So it can be stated that due to our experimental results decrease in deformability of RBCs during storage occurs after a four weeks period of relative stability. To get further insight in changes of underlying or related biochemical properties according experiments have been performed in parallel. Especially the decrease in ATP showed a nearly parallel time course with a significant decrease after the 4th week. All other parameters especially the 2,3 DPG level showed a nearly linear de- or increase with time which are in accordance with the results of the additionally performed elongation experiments. Our quasi-static and dynamic deformability measurements have been proven to provide a simple and reliable tool to follow up erythrocyte senescence during storage where a pronounced change in mechanical properties may be used as an indicator for a change in bioviability. This has to be verified in further experiments.