Objective To study the changes of microstructure of
red blood
cells(RBCs) in whole blood during storage for preparing
washing red blood cells. Methods The whole blood was collected from healthy volunteers by using CPD-A collection bag. The experiment was divided into 6 groups. The
group Ⅰ was the fresh whole blood
stored at 4℃ for 7
days. The group Ⅱ and Ⅲ were the whole blood stored at 4℃ for 10 and 15 days, respectively. The group Ⅳ,Ⅴ and Ⅵ were the whole blood stored at 4℃ for 20, 25 and 30 days, respectively. 1 drop of whole blood taken from the whole blood bag was fixed by 5% glutaraldehyde before preparing washing red blood cell. The plasma was separated from the whole blood by 2 000 r/min for 10 min. The concentration of hemoglobulin (Hb) in the plasma was assayed. The left RBCs were added to equal volume of 0.9% NS and centrifuged twice at 1 500 r/min for 5 min. Results The shape of RBCs in the group Ⅰ and Ⅱ were double-faced concave disc and equably suspended. In the group Ⅲ, the RBCs before
preparation showed the normal shape, but few RBCs after preparation were agglutinated, spherical and ragged at edge. The thorn RBCs could be found. The plasma was reddish and the number of spherical cells, thorn RBCs and middle-ventage RBCs increased before preparation in the group Ⅳ,Ⅴ and Ⅵ.Conclusion The best time of preparing washing RBCs should be fresh whole blood before 10 days stored at 4℃. The morphology of washing RBCs prepared from the whole blood would be abnormal after storage of 15 days.