The 24-hour posttransfusion survival of baboon red blood cells preserved in citrate phosphate dextrose/ ADSOL (CPD/AS-1) for 49 days.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the baboon as an animal model for evaluating red blood cell (RBC) preservation by comparing the 24-h posttransfusion survival of baboon RBCs preserved in citrate phosphate dextrose/ADSOL (CPD/AS-1) solution at 4 degrees C for 49 days to that of human RBCs preserved under similar conditions. CPD/AS-1 originally was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for 49-day storage of RBCs, but this period subsequently was reduced to 42 days. Adult male baboons (Papio anubis and P. cynocephalus) were autotransfused with RBCs that had been harvested using CPD and that had been resuspended and stored in AS-1 solution at 4 degrees C for as long as 49 days. The 24-h posttransfusion survival was measured using the 51Cr/125I-albumin method. The 24-h posttransfusion survival (mean +/- standard deviation) was 74% +/- 7% for seven units of CPD/AS-1-treated RBCs stored for 35 days, 65% +/- 15% for 12 units stored for 42 days, and 43% +/- 16% for seven units stored for 49 days. The mean 24-h posttransfusion survival rate for autologous baboon RBCs stored in CPD/AS-1 at 4 degrees C for 35 days (74%) was similar to that for autologous human RBCs stored in a similar manner. Further storage for 42 and 49 days resulted in lower values for baboon RBCs compared with human RBCs.