The use of a transport medium (L15M15) for bulk tissue storage and retention of viability

Twenty-five human or mouse tissue samples, some up to 8×4×2 cm, were immersed in a special transport medium (TM), L15M15, up to 7 days before being processed or placed in tissue culture. To test the efficacy of this medium, we concurrently placed pieces of the same tissues in a sterile phosphate buffered solution (PBS). We also tested the preservative capabilities of TM and PBS at room temperature and with refrigeration. Differences between TM and PBS are demonstrated, which are more pronounced using room temperature up to 4 days time. The tissues stored in TM show fewer degenerative or autolytic changes than the same tissue stored in PBS under identical conditions. Using regrigeration further enhanced the preservative qualities of TM up to 4 days, but not PBS. There were no obvious differences between tissues stored in TM and PBS with refrigeration after 7 days. We conclude that transport medium L15M15 is a useful medium for preserving tissue viability, especially large tissue samples, up to 4 days, especially if refrigerated.