Marked changes in red cell volume response to isotonic glucose solution during storage.

The changes of erythrocyte-volume caused by isotonic hexose solutions, glucose and galactose, during storage were studied. Blood was stored for 13 weeks at 4 degrees C. The determinations were carried out using a newly developed blood cell volume analyzer which can measure the continuous changes in cell volume. The erythrocyte volume gradually increased and reached a plateau after 13 weeks of storage. The percent volume increase in hexose solutions markedly decreased during the first 4 weeks of storage. These changes may have been due to denaturation of the membrane protein responsible for hexose permeation during storage.