Effect of plastic and glass surfaces on clot retraction and serotonin uptake of platelet-rich plasma stored at 4 ° C

The effect of plastic, glass, and siliconized glass surfaces on the number and function of blood platelets suspended in plasma and stored for various intervals at 4 ° C. was studied. Platelet function was tested by clot retraction and by the in vitro uptake of C¹⁴-labeled 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). It was found that while there was no significant difference in the rate of decrease in platelet number between samples of platelet-rich plasma preserved in plastic and those preserved in siliconized and non-siliconized glass containers, the clot retraction and the serotonin-uptake properties of the platelets disappeared more rapidly when the platelet-rich plasma was preserved in plastic containers. Other findings indicated that the effect of the plastic surface on the clot retraction of preserved platelets was the result of a change in the platelets themselves and not of an alteration in the suspending plasma. When, however, whole blood was preserved instead of platelet-rich plasma, the unfavorable effect of the plastic surface could not be demonstrated. The serotonin uptake property of platelet-rich plasma obtained from EDTA blood was compared with that of ACD blood during storage at 4 ° C. It was seen that in the presence of EDTA the platelets lost their serotonin uptake property more rapidly than when ACD was used.