Biochemical Alterations During Storage of Human Blood from Male and Female Donors

Summary Units of human blood were obtained from male and female donors and compared for changes in pH, ATP levels, plasma hemoglobin, and osmotic resistance during storage in ACD for a period up to 42 days. The data show that, by the criteria of the above in vitro determinations, the blood obtained from female donors is able to survive the storage lesions better than the blood from male donors. These results are attributed to the different endocrine systems in the human male and female and the capacity to form structurally and pharmacologically different endogenous steroid hormones. The possibility that these steroid hormones could interact with components of the red cell membrane and limit an increase in cell membrane permeability is discussed. A sample of blood obtained from an 8-month pregnant human female was also studied, the pattern of preservation of such blood was essentially the same as that observed with the blood of female donors.