Introduktion. The article explores the possibility of improving the efficiency of human red blood cell cryopreservation by using substances that can influence the ice recrystallization process (polyvinyl alcohol with a molecular weight of 9 kDa (PVA 9 kDa), sucrose, and glucose) in cryoprotective solutions.

Aim of the study. To evaluate the effect of combining oxyethylated glycerol with a polymerization degree of n = 25 and ice recrystallization inhibitors (PVA 9 kDa, sucrose, glucose) on the effectiveness of red blood cell cryopreservation.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted on human red blood cells frozen in liquid nitrogen ( – 196 °C ) in the following cryoprotective solutions: 30 %  OEGn=25; 20 % OEGn=25; 20 % OEGn=25 + 0,1 M glucose; 20 % OEGn=25 + 0,1 M sucrose; 20 % OEGn=25 + 10 mg / ml PVA 9 kDa. Hemolysis, hematocrit, and osmotic resistance of the cells were assessed. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.

Results. The lowest level of hemolysis in cryopreserved red blood cells was found in the solution containing 20 % OEGn=25  + 10 mg / ml PVA 9 kDa. The addition of sucrose also contributed to a higher level of cell preservation, whereas the use of glucose led to a statistically significant increase in the proportion of hemolyzed erythrocytes. The highest indicators of osmotic resistance of erythrocytes (in 0,6 % NaCl – 17,2 (16,1 − 18,3)%, in 0,9 % NaCl – 15,6 (13,8 − 17,4)%) were obtained in solutions where OEGn=25 was combined with 10 mg / ml PVA 9 kDa or 0,1 M sucrose. Hematocrit values did not show statistically significant differences between all the studied solutions.

Conclusions. The use of polyvinyl alcohol allows for a reduction in the OEGn=25 concentration from 30 % to 20 % without significantly compromising the quality of the cryopreserved red blood cells, based on the assessed parameters. Sucrose also demonstrated promising results in improving the preservation level of erythrocytes during cryopreservation, unlike glucose. Thus, the application of substances capable of influencing the recrystallization process (PVA 9 kDa, sucrose) in OEGn=25-based solutions is a promising direction for developing effective human red blood cell storage protocols.

Keywords: human red blood cells, cryopreservation, recrystallization inhibition, cryoprotectans.