Metabolic changes in human red cells during incubation of whole blood in vitro.

1. Whole blood was incubated at 37 degrees , while being dialysed against a large volume of iso-osmotic bicarbonate buffer, pH7.4. The buffer contained glucose and the essential inorganic components of blood plasma in proportion. 2. After 3hr. of incubation in vitro there is a loss of red-cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. 3. Isotope experiments show that this is due to an accelerated rate of destruction of this compound. 4. Simultaneously, there is an increase in the median of red-cell osmotic fragility. 5. After extended periods of incubation there is a decrease in the metabolic rate and a decrease in the ratio of the rates of lactate production to glucose consumption. 6. There is a continuous loss of total adenine nucleotide and, after the first 12hr. of incubation, a tendency for the intracellular Na(+) and K(+) to equilibrate with the plasma. 7. The standard deviation of red-cell osmotic fragility expressed among the red-cell population increases exponentially with the time of incubation.