The Rhesus Monkey as a Model for Evaluation of the Preservation of Stored Whole Blood

Blood was collected into Acid Citrate Dextrose solution (ACD) from a group of 20 large, adult rhesus monkeys. In ten of the experiments, the blood was labeled immediately with radioisotopes and reinfused into the donor monkeys. The other ten blood units were stored at 4 C for 21 days, then tabled and infused into the donor monkeys. In vitro determinations were made immediately after collection and at the end of the storage period and compared with the results obtained in stored human blood. The ten fresh blood infusions had a mean survival of 101.3 per cent with an average half time of 10.4 days. The 21 (lay‐old bloods had a mean survival of 73.7 per cent (S.D. = 5.1%) with an average half time of 11.3 days. The average red blood cell survival of 123 human blood units stored 21 days and reinfused into their donors had an average red cell survival of 81.0 per cent (S.D. = 8.6%). The determinations in rhesus blood and human blood were comparable. These data strongly suggest that in vivo studies done in the rhesus monkey may be substituted for those performed in man to evaluate red cell preservation.