Oxygen delivery following transfusion of stored blood. I. Normal rats.

RINGLE, AND STANLEY I?. BALCERZAK. Oxygen delivery following transfusion of stored blood. I. Normal rats. J. Appl. Physiol. 37(l) : 60-63. 1974 .-Blood stored in acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD) develops increased oxygen affinity secondary to progressive decline of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels. The ability of stored blood to supply oxygen to tissues was studied in rats exchange-transfused with either stored or fresh blood. Skin bubble oxygen tension (Psbo,) and central venous oxygen tension (PEo,) served as indices of tissue oxygenation. Mean DPG levels fell immediately after transfusion with stored blood but rose rapidly to 70y0 of the preexchange level by 9 11. P50 values paralleled DPG levels. Psbo, fell from a mean of 34 mmHg before transfusion to a mean of 27 mmHg at 24 h after transfusion. P??o, levels fell abruptly and markedly and remained significantly depressed for 9 h after transfusion. Rats transfused with fresh blood had minimal decreases in DPG, P 50, PCoz, and Psbo, values. Normal rats exchange-transfused with ACD-stored blood have a significant decrease in red cell DPG and increase in red cell oxygen affinity; although regeneration of DPG and oxygen affinity is relatively rapid, such animals have a significant interval of impaired tissue oxygenation.