STUDIES ON THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN BLOOD (V) ALDOLASE ACTIVITY IN STORED ERYTHROCYTES

It has been known that the viability of preserved erythrocytes derceases during storage in acid-citrate-dextrose at 4°-6°C, and this decrease is aseociated with a failure of cellular glycolytis.Recently the isolation and analysis of human red cells glycolytic intermediates have been studied with the use of paper chromatography and ion exchange column chaomatography. Howevr the cause of the glycolytic failure has not been elucidated. This failure may be closely related the activities of the glycolytic enzymes of stored red cells.In the present work the activity of aldolase in the stored red cell was studied with the use of Sibley's method.Results indicated that aldolase activity of stored red cells remained constant during 40 days of storage at 4-6°C.We conclude that the failure in glycolytic system is caused by inhibition due to the accumulation of metabolic products, and is not caused from the decrease of the activity of individual enzyme.