Study on Loading Platelets with Trehalose

Xin-Li Zhou*, Hong Zhu¹, Shao-Zhi Zhang , Fa-Ming Zhu¹, Guang-Ming Chen, Li-Xing Yan¹

(Cryobiology Laboratory, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; ¹Blood Center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310006, China )

Abstract:Introducing the impermeable lyoprotectant trehalose into the cytoplasm is the first step toward preserving platelets by freeze-drying. We investigated the loading of the human platelets with trehalose. Trehalose uptake was measured as a function of extracellular trehalose concentration, incubation time and incubation temperature. We found an effective uptake of the trehalose at 37 ℃ in a time span of 4 h in the presence of 50 mmol/L external trehalose. The internal trehalose concentration reached above 15 mmol/L. Morphological study, hematology analysis and annexin V binding assay showed that trehalose loaded platelets maintain the normal morphology and function of platelets. These data provide the foundation in developing a protocol for freeze-drying platelets.

Key words: platelets; trehalose; loading; freeze-drying

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.50076039) and the Science Foundation of Ministry of Health P.R. China (No.WKJ2005-2-037)

*Corresponding author. Tel: 86-571-87951680, Fax: 86-571-87952464, E-mail: lovehome@zju.edu.cn