Characterization of blood components separated from donated whole blood after an overnight holding at room temperature with the buffy coat method.

BACKGROUND: With buffy coat (BC) processing of whole blood (WB) donations, increase in WB storage time to facilitate overnight holding before the separation of blood components would be a logistically attractive development. This study undertakes a comparative in vitro characterization of blood components prepared from WB samples that were either processed within 8 hours or stored overnight at room temperature before processing by the BC method. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The WB units (400 mL) collected were either processed within 8 hours (fresh blood) or stored overnight (overnight blood) at room temperature. WB units were separated into individual-component red blood cells (RBCs), BC, and plasma. The in vitro quality of these blood components (RBCs, pooled platelet concentrates [PCs], and plasma) was analyzed during storage. RESULTS: Levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) were found to be significantly lower immediately after processing, compared with the fresh WB samples, in RBCs that had been separated from an overnight-hold sample. However, this difference was not apparent after 14 days of storage. In pooled PCs, measurements for glucose, lactate, PO(2), PCO(2), extent of shape change, and hypotonic shock response were similar. The platelet yield in PCs prepared from an overnight-hold WB sample was significantly higher, while CD62P expression and annexin V binding were lower (p < 0.05). For frozen plasma (FP), no significant differences were observed for the coagulation factors (F)II, FVII, FV, F IX, FX, and FXI; fibrinogen; and von Willebrand factor content between the 8- and 24-hour FP. The FVIII was the component that was most sensitive to the prolongation of production time and it only had 80% of the activity of the 8-hour FP. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that blood components (RBCs, pooled PCs, and FP) separated from WB that has been stored overnight at room temperature by the BC method are of acceptable quality.

[Nifedipine attenuates vascular inflammation via inhibin NF-κB activity].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects and related mechanism of nifedipine on vascular inflammation induced by cuff placement. METHODS: Adult male C57BL/6J mice (10 to 12 weeks of age) were assigned to control (no cuff placement without nifedipine), cuff placement (cuff placement without nifedipine) and treatment (cuff placement with nifedipine 1 or 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)) groups. Activity of NF-κB in injured artery was measured 5 days after operation. MCP-1 expression and nuclear translocation of NF-κB were examined in injured artery 7 days after operation. RESULTS: DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was significantly increased in the injured artery 5 days after cuff placement which could be downregulated by nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1). MCP-1 mRNA expression in the injured arteries was increased 7 days after cuff placement and which could be significantly attenuated by nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1). Cuff placement decreased the cytoplasmic level of p50, IκBα, IκBß, and increased the nuclear level of p50. Nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) significantly attenuated these changes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that high dose nifedipine could suppresses expression of MCP-1 induced by injured arteries via the inhibin NF-κB DNA binding activity, thereby attenuating vascular inflammation.

[Experimental study on lyophilization of platelets].

The aim of this study was to search a procedure of platelet lyophilization and find a way of long-term storage of human platelets at normal temperature with smaller size and lighter weight, to be convenient to transport at long distance thus to meet the demands in accidents and war time. Human platelets were pretreated by freezing, the first and the second desiccation, and were added with reversible activation-inhibitors of platelets, DMSO and trehalose, then were rehydrated. At the same time, the recovery rate of platelets, platelet maximal aggregation induced by thrombin, coagulation of platelets, CD62p expression and PAC-1 expression were assayed. The results indicated that the recovery rate of the platelets was 56.29%. The platelet maximal aggregation induced by thrombin had no significant difference between lyophilized platelets and the fresh platelet-rich plasma (FPRP), but the aggregation of platelets induced by ADP or propyl gallate was decreased by 49.34% and 26.25%. Coagulation of the lyophilized platelets was not significantly different from FPRP. CD62p expression of the lyophilized platelets (42.36%) was higher than that in FPRP while PAC-1 expression was 2.12%. CD62p re-expression rate induced by thrombin was 50.88% and PAC-1 re-expression was 54.55%. It is concluded that the ability of recovered lyophilized platelets added with reversible activation-inhibitors, DMSO and trehalose to aggregate and coagulate has showed no significant difference as compared with FPRP. The reversible activation-inhibitors can decrease CD62p expression of lyophilized platelets, and may enhance their survival ability and prolongate survival time. Therefore the efficiency of lyophilizing platelets can be improved based on this freeze-drying procedure.

[Aggregation after rehydration of lyophilized platelets].

This study was aimed to investigate the aggregation of rehydrated-lyophilized platelets. The aggregation rate of fresh and rehydrated-lyophilized platelets were measured by using thrombin, ristocetin, ADP and collagen as inductors and APACT2 aggregameter; the effects of intra- and extra-cellular trehalose on maximum aggregation rate of rehydrated-lyophilized platelets were detected by using ADP as an inductor. The results showed that the aggregation rate of fresh platelets was all about 100%, while aggregation rate of rehydrated lyophilized platelets was (70.17 +/- 7.36)%, (15.3 +/- 2.81)%, (68.67 +/- 6.86)%, (64.67 +/- 11.6)% respectively, when the concentration of thrombin, ristocetin, ADP and collagen was 1 U/ml, 1.6 mg/ml, 20 micromol/L and 2 microg/ml. The maximum aggregation rates of rehydrated-lyophilized platelets in intra- and extra-cellular trehalose, extracellular trehalose and blank control groups were (66.0 +/- 4.69)%, (25.3 +/- 2.42)% and (11.5 +/- 1.87)% (P < 0.01), meanwhile there was significant difference of rehydrated-lyophilized platelet aggregation rate between intra- and extra-cellular trehalose and extracellular trehalose groups (P < 0.01). It is concluded that the concentrations of thrombin (1 U/ml), ristocetin (1.6 mg/ml), ADP (20 micromol/L) and collagen (2 microg/ml) are optimal for platelets aggregation tests, the internal and extracellular trehalose significantly enhance the aggregation of rehydrated-lyophilized platelets.

[Process of human platelets loaded with rehalose before lyophilization].

The aim of this research was to study the technology and methods of loading lyoprotectant-trehalose into cytoplasm of human platelets before lyophilization, to optimize experimental conditions of loading trehalose, to investigate the changes of platelets response to agonists and activation after incubation of platelets for 4 hours at 37 degrees C in the presence of lyoprotectant-trehalose, to protract the figures of loading efficiency and intracellular trehalose concentration versus incubation time, temperature and external trehalose concentration, to optimize loading parameters. The response of platelets to different agonists--thrombin, ADP, collagen and ristocetin were measured respectively by APACT2 aggregometer before and after loading trehalose into platelets; the expressions of CD62p and PAC-1 on platelet membranes in the presence and absence of reversible platelets activation inhibitors were measured by flow cytometry respectively before and after loading trehalose into cytoplasm of platelets. The results showed that the loading efficiency was linear to incubation time (2 hours later) and incubation temperature (rang from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C), respectively. The loading efficiency almost reached 60% when the platelets were incubated at 37 degrees C for 4 hours. The intracellular trehalose concentration was higher with the increase of the extracellular trehalose concentration (< 50 mmol/L). Compared to untreated groups, the values of MPV and aggregation to different agonists in treated groups showed no significant difference, respectively (P > 0.01). After incubation of platelets for 4 hours, the expression of CD62p increased to some extent, however, the expression of CD62p decreased again when the reversible platelets activation inhibitor PGE-1 and adenosine were added to the incubation buffer. It is concluded that 37 degrees C, 4 hours and the extracellular trehalose concentration < 50 mmol/L are the optimal conditions for loading with trehalose. The processing of loading with trehalose before platelet lyophilization has no significant effects on response of platelets to agonists and activation.

[Optimization on trehalose loading technique as protective conditioning for lyophilization of human platelets].

This study was aimed to further optimize trehalose loading technique including loading temperature, loading time, loading solution and loading concentration of trehalose, based on the established parameters. Loading efficiency in plasma was compared with that in buffer at 37 degrees C; the curves of intracellular trehalose concentration versus loading time at 37 degrees C and 16 degrees C were measured; curves of mean platelet volume (MPV) versus loading time and loading concentration were investigated and compared. According to results obtained, the loaing time, loading temperature, loading solution and trehalose concentration were ascertained for high loading efficiency of trehalose into human platelet. The results showed that the loading efficiency in plasma was markedly higher than that in buffer at 37 degrees C, the loading efficiency in plasma at 37 degrees C was significantly higher than that at 16 degrees C and reached 19.51% after loading for 4 hours, but 6.16% at 16 degrees C. MPV at 16 degrees C was increased by 43.2% than that at 37 degrees C, but had no distinct changes with loading time and loading concentration. In loading at 37 degrees C, MPV increased with loading time and loading concentration positively. Loading time and loading concentration displayed synergetic effect on MPV. MPV increased with loading time and concentration while trehalose loading concentration was above 50 mmol/L. It is concluded that the optimization parameters of trehalose loading technique are 37 degrees C (temperature), 4 hours (leading time), plasma (loading solution), 50 mmol/L (feasible trehalose concentration). The trehalose concentration can be adjusted to meet the requirement of lyophilization.