Routine assessment of viability in split-thickness skin

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Cryobiology

Background:

• Effective quality control of cryopreserved allograft skin is crucial for transplantation success.
• Current methods for assessing cell viability, such as tetrazolium reduction assays and oxygen consumption techniques, have limitations.
• A simple, reproducible method is needed for routine assessment of tissue viability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of a novel tetrazolium salt, WST-1, for assessing cell viability in cryopreserved porcine skin.
• To compare the efficacy of the WST-1 assay with the established oxygen consumption technique.

Main Methods:

• Porcine split-thickness skin was cryopreserved using a graded freezing protocol to induce varying levels of cryoinjury.
• Cell viability was assessed using the WST-1 assay, which produces a water-soluble formazan product.
• Results from the WST-1 assay were compared with measurements obtained from an oxygen consumption technique.

Main Results:

• The WST-1 assay demonstrated a high degree of similarity with the oxygen consumption technique in assessing recovery.
• The WST-1 assay proved to be a simple, effective, and convenient method for evaluating metabolic function.
• The assay is suitable for routine assessment of tissue viability in cryopreserved allograft skin.

Conclusions:

• The WST-1 assay is a reliable and practical tool for assessing the metabolic function and viability of cryopreserved allograft skin.
• This novel assay can be implemented for routine quality control in tissue banking and transplantation.
• WST-1 offers a valuable alternative for ensuring the quality of skin grafts prior to transplantation.