Perfluorocarbon emulsion improves oxygen transport of normal and sickle cell human blood in vitro

Perfluorocarbons (PFC) are compounds with high gas solubility that could help deliver O-2 to tissues and have been suggested as adjunct therapy to ischemia. Using a newly designed in vitro system, we tested the hypothesis that a third generation PFC emulsion (Oxycyte) increased O-2 transport of blood by measuring changes in O2 extraction ratio. The system included a computer-controlled pump and blood-gas exchange chambers to oxygenate and deoxygenate the blood from nine sickle cell disease (SCD) patients and five healthy donors. The flowing blood reached various levels of hemoglobin O-2 saturation and O-2 partial pressures (PO2), measured using a CO-oximeter and a blood gas analyzer. The mixtures were kept at physiological blood pressure and temperature, constant flow, normobaric conditions, and FiO2=0.30. After adding PFC, the measurements suggested an increase in the transport of O-2 and CO. Addition of PFC resulted in larger PO2 difference from 15 +/- 2 mmHg to 23 +/- 2 mmHg. Using normal blood and blood from SCD patients, the average O-2 extraction ratio (O2ER) after PFC was significantly higher than baseline. Addition of saline did not cause statistically significant changes. The data suggest increased (facilitated) O-2 transport by this PFC emulsion in both normal and SCD blood. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.