A Method for Preservation of Viable Platelets: Combined Effects of Sugars and Dimethylsulfoxide

Rat platelets were frozen in liquid nitrogen (-195 C.) without losing their morphologic integrity and their ability to circulate in thrombocytopenic recipient animals. The simultaneous presence of two preservative agents—a sugar and dimethylsulfoxide—was instrumental in this respect. The use of single agents was only slightly or not at all effective. The combination of 5 per cent Dextrose and 5 per cent DMS in plasma permitted in individual experiments a circulating yield of frozen platelets as high as 70 to 87 per cent of the numbers observed when fresh platelets were given. The bleeding time was reduced to normal whenever the platelet levels were increased to more than 300,000/mm³.