Potassium Loss and Cellular Dehydration of Stored Erythrocytes following Incubation in Autologous Plasma: Role of the KCI Cotransport System

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Abstract
We studied the regulation of cell volume and cation content in erythrocytes stored at 4°C under blood bank conditions for various lengths of time and subsequently incubated in autologous plasma at 37°C for 4 or 24 h. Cell swelled during storage at 4°C whereas marked K+loss and cell shrinkage were observed when erythrocytes were incubated at 37°C in autologous plasma. The cell shrinkage was inhibited only by the K+Cl‐cotransport‐specific inhibitor, [(dihydroindenyl)oxy] alkanoic acid, and not by other specific inhibitors of cation transport systems such as ouabain (Na+‐K+ATPase pump), bumetanide (Na+‐K+‐Cl‐cotransport) or carbocyanine (Ca++‐activated K+channel). Acidification and swelling of the erythrocytes are well known to be able to activate the K+Cl‐cotransport; such conditions, which were demonstrated to occur during the storage, could lead to activation of the K+Cl‐cotransport in reinfused cells. These data strongly support the evidence that K+Cl‐cotransport plays a role in K+loss and dehydration of stored erythrocytes, when incubated in autologous plasma.
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