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Author Spotlight: Illuminating New Avenues for Adipose Tissue Metabolism and Disease Prevention
Published on: October 6, 2023
Metabolomics of AS-5 RBC supernatants following routine storage
A D'Alessandro1, K C Hansen, C C Silliman
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Background And Objectives:
The safety and efficacy of stored red blood cells (RBCs) transfusion has been long debated due to retrospective clinical evidence and laboratory results, indicating a potential correlation between increased morbidity and mortality following transfusion of RBC units stored longer than 14 days. We hypothesize that storage in Optisol additive solution-5 leads to a unique metabolomics profile in the supernatant of stored RBCs.
Materials And Methods:
Whole blood was drawn from five healthy donors, RBC units were manufactured, and prestorage leucoreduced by filtration. Samples were taken on days 1 and 42, the cells removed, and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was performed.
Results:
The results confirmed the progressive impairment of RBC energy metabolism by day 42 with indirect markers of a parallel alteration of glutathione and NADPH homeostasis. Moreover, oxidized pro-inflammatory lipids accumulated by the end of storage.
Conclusion:
The supernatants from stored RBCs may represent a burden to the transfused recipients from a metabolomics standpoint.

