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Assessment of Platelet Storage Lesions, Viability, and Function in Canine Platelet Concentrate Units Stored at 4°C
Kate S Farrell1, Steven E Epstein1, Nghi Nguyen1
1Department of Veterinary Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Objective:
To assess platelet function, storage lesion development, and bacterial contamination in canine platelet concentrate (PC) units stored at 4°C for 14 days.
Design:
Prospective, in vitro experimental study.
Setting:
University teaching hospital.
Animals:
Six units of canine PC.
Interventions:
PC units were stored at 4°C for 14 days without agitation and sampled on Days 0, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 14. Testing included automated platelet count, platelet indices, WBC and RBC counts, blood gases, lactate, glucose, and electrolyte concentrations, light transmission aggregometry, alpha-granule secretion, phosphatidylserine externalization via flow cytometry, and aerobic/anaerobic bacterial culture.
Measurements And Main Results:
Platelet count remained stable during storage, with median daily values >500,000/µL. Lactate concentration increased over time, with a median (range) value of 2.1 mmol/L (1.7-2.4 mmol/L) on Day 0 increasing to 9.6 mmol/L (8.1-10.3 mmol/L) on Day 14 (p < 0.0001). All pH measurements remained >7.1. While platelets remained viable throughout storage, platelet function varied over time and response was agonist dependent. Response to ADP was minimal on aggregometry, and alpha-granule secretion increased on Days 12 and 14. Thrombin-induced aggregation was higher compared to ADP and collagen until Day 12, but alpha-granule secretion decreased after Day 7. Collagen failed to elicit robust aggregation response throughout the storage period, but activation with convulxin induced significant activation. Flow cytometry demonstrated variable P-selectin and Annexin V expression in unstimulated and agonist-treated platelets. Bacterial cultures revealed growth in one sample on Day 14.
Conclusions:
In canine PC units stored at 4°C for 14 days, there was evidence of loss of platelet function that was agonist dependent, but there were limited or expected changes in hematologic values, metabolic parameters, and platelet viability. Findings support further investigation of cold storage as an option for prolonging canine PC shelf life.
