title: Modification of glutathione content in platelet concentrates by the use of acivicin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intracellular glutathione declines progressively in platelet concentrates stored for transfusion, but little is known about the nature of this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acivicin, an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, was used to determine the fate of glutathione lost from platelets during storage. Glutathione, cysteinylglycine, cysteine, and their disulfides were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In control and acivicin-treated platelet concentrates, intracellular glutathione declined progressively during 7 days' storage, with half-disappearance times of 2.12 +/- 0.22 and 2.13 +/- 0.23 days, respectively. No glutathione accumulated accumulated in the medium of control concentrates. In concentrates treated with acivicin, glutathione accumulated in plasma to a level equal to 150 percent of that present in platelets and plasma on Day 1 of storage, which suggested a net synthesis of glutathione during storage. The sum of glutathione, cysteinylglycine, and cysteine in plasma was not different in control and acivicin-treated concentrates; however, plasma from control concentrates contained significantly higher amounts of cysteinylglycine and cysteine. Treatment of concentrates with acivicin had a small favorable effect on plasma lactate dehydrogenase, beta-thromboglobulin, and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase during storage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The loss of glutathione from platelets during their storage as concentrates for transfusion is due to its egress into the suspending medium and catabolism by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.
authors.affiliation: American Red Cross Blood Services, Rochester Region, New York.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aman
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Burch
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology; D001793:Blood Preservation; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D007555:Isoxazoles; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D005978:Glutathione; C006303:acivicin