Conformational disorders of RBC membranes during long-term storage

Abstract

Introduction. Packed red blood cells (pRBCs) are the most required component of blood used for transfusion. Storage of erythrocytes in blood bank conditions causes a disruption of the molecular structure of long-stored pRBC membranes. This “disruption” can affect the quality and safety of transfused red blood cells.Aim — to analyze the dynamics of pathological changes in the morphology, nanostructure, cytoskeleton network, and mechanical properties of RBC membranes during long-term storage of pRBCs, and the relationship of these changes with storage time.Materials and methods. Hermetic bags of pRBCs with anticoagulant CPD in resuspending solution SAGM were stored for 42 days at +4 °С. Samples were taken on days 3, 12, 19, 21, 24, 28, 35, and 42 of storage and images of morphology, nanostructure, and cytoskeleton were obtained by atomic force microscopy. Young’s modulus was used to assess the stiffness of native cell membranes using atomic force spectroscopy.Results. During storage of pRBCs, their cell morphology changed. After 20–24 days of storage an irreversible transformation of discocytes into echinocytes, spheroequinocytes and other cell forms occurred. It was found that during storage of pRBCs, topological defects in the form of domains with grains appeared on the surface of RBC membranes, the configuration of the cytoskeleton network transformed structurally, and the Young’s modulus increased.Conclusions. During long-term storage of pRBCs (up to 42 days, 4 °С, CPD/SAGM) the molecular structure of RBCs undergoes irreversible disorders. These changes occur, as a rule, after 20–24 days of storage.