Behaviour of glutathione in preserved human blood

The widespread interest in the metabolism and enzymology of the erythrocyte in the past 25 years has been stimulated by the need for efficient methods for the preservation of blood. To achieve this, it is necessary to know the nature of the biochemical and physical changes that are responsible for the loss of viability and ultimate breakdown of the cells during storage. In the field of blood preservation the interest in glutathione arises out of evidence that it appears to play an important role in the maintenance of stability and viability of the erythrocytes