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Cryoprotectant permeation through human articular cartilage.
Belen Carsi1, Jose Luis Lopez-Lacomba, Jose Sanz
1St. Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust, Merseyside, UK. belen.carsi@yahoo.com <belen.carsi@yahoo.com>
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
|September 29, 2004
Summary
Cryoprotectant permeation in articular cartilage is crucial for chondrocyte survival. Glycerol penetrates cartilage faster than dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO), suggesting it is a more effective cryoprotective agent for tissue preservation.
Area of Science:
- Cryobiology
- Tissue Engineering
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Chondrocyte survival during cryopreservation of articular cartilage is limited.
- Understanding cryoprotectant permeation is vital for improving cryopreservation protocols.
- Current methods often expose cartilage to insufficient concentrations or temperatures of cryoprotectants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the permeation kinetics of cryoprotective agents through human articular cartilage.
- To compare the penetration rates and diffusion coefficients of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and glycerol.
- To inform optimal cryopreservation strategies for articular cartilage.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure permeation.
- Dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and glycerol diffusion were studied at various temperatures (4-37°C) and concentrations.
- Deuterated water (D2O) served as a control substance.
Main Results:
- Glycerol exhibited faster penetration rates than Me2SO across all tested temperatures.
- Penetration rates for both agents increased with rising temperature.
- Diffusion coefficients increased with temperature but were concentration-dependent.
Conclusions:
- Classical cryopreservation protocols using Me2SO may be suboptimal due to low temperatures and insufficient exposure times.
- Glycerol demonstrates superior permeation efficiency compared to Me2SO for cartilage cryopreservation.
- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology is a powerful tool for studying cryobiology and optimizing tissue preservation.