Evaluation of canine red blood cells stored in a saline, adenine, and glucose solution for 35 days.

An additive solution for the storage of red blood cells was evaluated for use in dogs. Blood collected from 6 dogs was processed into packed red blood cells and stored for 35 days in the additive solution Nutricel (Miles, Inc, Pharmaceutical Division, West Haven, CT). Packed red blood cells stored in citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine (CPDA-1; Fenwal Laboratories, Baxter Health Care Corp, Deerfield, IL) also were evaluated for comparison. Red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) concentration, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration, percentage hemolysis, and pH were determined. The red blood cell post-transfusion viability (PTV) after 35 days of storage was assessed with both single-labeled chromium 51 (51Cr) and double-labeled technetium 99m/chromium 51 (99mTc/51Cr) techniques. Mean ATP concentration and percentage hemolysis of the cells stored in Nutricel were 1.1 mumol/g hemoglobin (Hb) and 0.28% respectively and did not differ significantly (P < .05) from the values of 1.0 mumol/g Hb and 0.33% from the CPDA.1-stored red blood cells. The mean pH of red blood cells stored in Nutricel was 6.19, which was significantly lower than the pH of 6.47 for cells stored in CPDA-1. The mean 2,3-DPG concentration of red blood cells stored in Nutricel was significantly higher at 10.1 mumol/g Hb than the 2,3-DPG concentration of 3.4 mumol/g Hb for cells stored in CPDA-1. The mean PTV of canine red blood cells stored in Nutricel for 35 days was 85% with 51Cr and 90% with 99mTc/51Cr. This was significantly higher than the mean PTVs of 38% and 36% for the CPDA-1 stored cells as assessed with 51Cr and 99mTc/51Cr techniques, respectively. It was concluded that 35-day-old canine red blood cells stored in Nutricel are of acceptable quality for transfusion purposes.