Quality control in veterinary blood banks: evaluation of canine platelet concentrates stored for five days

Platelets undergo structural, biochemical and functional alterations when stored, and platelet storage lesions reduce platelet function and half-life after transfusion. The objective of this study was to evaluate stored canine platelet concentrates with platelet aggregation, flow cytometry and biochemistry assays. Twenty-two bags of canine platelet concentrates were obtained by the platelet-rich plasma method and were assessed on days 1, 3 and 5 after collection. Parameters such as platelet counts, residual leukocytes, platelet swirling, glucose, lactate, pH, CD62P expression (platelet activation), JC-1 (mitochondrial function) and annexin V (apoptosis and cell death) were assessed.

Over the five days of storage there was a significant decrease in glucose, HCO₃, pCO₂, ATP, pH, swirling and mitochondrial function, associated with a significant increase in lactate levels and pO₂. At the end of storage pH was 5.9 ± 0.6 and lactate levels were 2.8 ± 1.2 mmol/L. Results of the quality parameters evaluated were similar to those reported in human platelets studies. The deleterious effects of storage were more pronounced in bags with higher platelet counts (> 7.49 × 10¹⁰/unit), suggesting that canine platelet concentrates should not contain an excessive number of platelets.

Quality parameters of canine platelets under standard storage conditions were similar to those observed in human platelets. Our results have potential to be used for the routine evaluation and quality control in veterinary blood banks.