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. 2010 Apr;16(4):381-2.
doi: 10.1038/nm0410-381.

Bad blood: the risks of red cell storage

Janet S Lee  1 , Mark T Gladwin
Affiliations

Bad blood: the risks of red cell storage

Janet S Lee et al. Nat Med. 2010 Apr.
No abstract available

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Several proposed mechanisms by which stored red blood cells can perpetuate microcirculatory perturbations and organ dysfunction. Red blood cells undergo hemolysis and microparticle formation. Free hemoglobin and microparticle hemoglobin scavenge NO, resulting in the loss of tonic vasodilation and generation of reactive oxygen species. The reduction in NO bioavailability promotes both platelet adhesion and aggregation in an already compromised microcirculation. Microparticles with exposed phosphatidylserine on their surface may promote hemostatic activation and platelet-neutrophil aggregation.
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