Effect of erythrocyte storage and oxyhemoglobin affinity changes on cardiac function

Effect of erythrocyte storage and oxyhemoglobin affinity changes on cardiac function. Am. J. Physiol. 248 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 17): H508-H515,1985.-Storage of blood can depress erythro-cyte 2,3diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels and thereby increase oxyhemoglobin affinity and potentially decrease capillary-to-tissue oxygen transport. We measured myocardial function and metabolism in isolated rabbit hearts with fixed coronary flow under basal conditions and during isoproterenol stress at 37 and 3O”C, comparing high and low oxyhemoglobin affinity (OHA) erythrocytes. The high OHA state resulted from stand-ard storage conditions, which caused depressed values of DPG and PM (the oxygen tension at which hemoglobin is 50% saturated). The low OHA erythrocytes were initially stored and then underwent biochemical treatment to restore the DPG and Pso values to normal. The low OHA cells released more oxygen