Platelet glycolysis in platelet storage. II. Levels and turnover of metabolic intermediates.

The metabolism of freshly collected platelets and platelets stored for three or four days at room temperature has been investigated. The levels of glycolytic intermediates were measured in platelets before and after incubation for 15 minutes in a buffered aerobic medium. Platelet intermediates were relatively well maintained, and levels of intermediates that were partially depleted, such as ATP, were restored toward normal after short term incubation even after storage for four days. Incorporation of 32PO4 into fresh and stored platelets during incubation in aerobic buffered medium was also studied. The incorporation pattern was only very modestly influenced by storage. These studies suggest that changes in glycolytic capacity do not play a major role in the loss of viability of platelets during storage at room temperature.