ASAIO transactions / American Society for Artificial Internal Organs
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Comparative Study
In vitro evaluation of a pyridoxalated hemoglobin polyoxyethylene conjugate in reversing cell sickling.
In sickle cell disease (SCD) microcirculatory blockage by red blood cells (RBC) occurs because of their low oxygen concentration, which results in both sickling and painful crises. Pyridoxalated hemoglobin polyoxyethylene (PHP), developed from human RBC hemoglobin (Hb) by chemical modification as an oxygen carrier, was evaluated in vitro for its ability to reverse cell sickling. PHP solutions of 6 or 8 g % Hb and a P50 of 20 mmHg were evaluated. ⋯ A novel artificial capillary system (ACS) modeling the dynamics of the microcirculation of the body was used. With the ACS plugged with deoxygenated cells, perfusion with oxygenated cell-PHP solutions was significantly more efficient in reversing the blockage than oxygenated saline and Hespan solutions. PHP reverses cell sickling by its effective delivery of oxygen.