PLATELET SURVIVAL IN HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS AFTER STORAGE WITH N-(2-MERCAPTOPROPIONYL)-GLYCINE

The sulphhgdryl group containing drug N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (MPG) was tested as a cytoprotective substance for storage of human pl atelets for transfusion. Autologous platelets stored for 48 h at 21+/- 1 degrees C in the absence (control-platelets) or in the presence (MPG -platelets) of MPG, respectively, were labelled with Indium-111 oxine and retransfused into the healthy donors. Significantly higher surviva l and a higher spleen/liver-ratio were obtained using stored MPG-plate lets compared to stored control-platelets. Additionally, a very strong correlation was found bem een the percentage of discocytes counted af ter incubation of stored platelets in fresh plasma in vitro and the su rvival of stored platelets after retransfusion in vivo.