Medicine entitled The Perils of Platelet Transfusions 1997. Also, the high cost of the procedure was mentioned in the reviews.
Fortunately, it is known that the use of albumin transfusion, using fractionized human serum albumin, is acceptable to treat patients with shock and hemorrhage
– the loss of blood from the circulatory system by leaking through damaged or cut blood
vessels in the body. These continuous bleedings may be prolonged by issues concerning malfunctions in platelets, like increased destruction of platelets in the circulatory system.
However, fractionized human serum albumin is easily the most expensive volume expander ―Mollison‘s Blood Transfusion in Clinical Medicine‖, Klein and others 2005.
Still, this procedure is usually done instead of platelet transfusion. The present study aims to test the capability of bovine serum albumin in increasing the number of platelets in the
body when infused by determining the percent increase in the number of platelets of thrombocytopenic white mice after the infusions of bovine serum albumin.
E. Scope and Delimitation
This study will test the capability of bovine serum albumin in increasing the number of platelets in the body when infused by determining the percent increase in the
number of platelets of thrombocytopenic white mice after the infusions of bovine serum albumin, in three different concentrations 0.2 BSA, 0.4 BSA, and 0.6 BSA. The
percent increase in the number of platelets before and after the infusions will be determined and compared. It will be the basis for determining the capability of the BSA
infusions in increasing the number of platelets of thrombocytopenic white mice.
Observations on physical and behavioral changes on the white mice during the experiment will be recorded but will only be used as supplementary data.
The experimental procedures and the gathering and analysis of data from the study will be conducted for a duration of one month. The sample of BSA will be obtained from
Chemline Scientific Corporation, Quezon City, Philippines and will be shipped to Philippine Science High School - Western Visayas. The white mice will be female, 6-8
weeks old, weighing about 10-20 ± 1 g, will be obtained from a private breeder, and will be transported to Philippine Science High School - Western Visayas Campus also, where
it will be given time to acclimate and be monitored and regulated.
F. Definition of Terms
Thrombocytopenia
– is a condition characterized by an abnormally low number of platelets, the irregular, disc-shaped elements in the blood that assist in blood clotting; can
arise due to decreased production of platelets in the bone marrow or increased breakdown of platelets in the bloodstream, spleen, or liver Medical Dictionary in MedTerms, 2009.
In this study, thrombocytopenia is the induced depletion of platelets in the blood of the white mice. Refer to appendix C for the normal number of platelets in white mice.
Albumin
– is the major plasma protein responsible for the plasma colloidal osmotic pressure; its role is to transport protein carrying large organic anions, certain hormones,
when the specific binding globulins are saturated Biology Online, 2009.
In this study, bovine serum albumin from cows is the plasma protein responsible for the transport of large organic anions and certain hormones. This is the type of albumin
in 10X phosphate-buffered solution that will be infused to the white mice.
Platelet
– is a minute, colorless, disk-like body in mammalian blood that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and to damaged epithelium; is also called
thrombocyte Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2010. In this study, the platelet is referred to as the platelets of white mice.
Number of platelets
– is the calculated number of platelets in a volume of blood usually expressed as ―number of platelets per cubic millimeter mm
3
‖ of whole blood Medical Dictionary in MedTerms, 1999.
In this study, the number of platelets will be expressed in ―number of platelets per microliter µL‖. One mm
3
is equal to 1 µL.
Infusion
– is the introduction of a solution such as saline, sucrose, or glucose through a drip feed, intravenously, in order to treat or feed a patient Microsoft Encarta
Dictionaries, 2009. In this study, infusion refers to the introduction of bovine serum albumin in a saline
solution intravenously to the vascular system of the white mice.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED ARTICLES
A. Platelets
