Integrity of Tumor Tissue Collected by Ultrasonic Aspirator: A Cellular and Molecular Perspective

Preserving the quality and integrity of resected tumor tissue is essential to ensure the reliability of downstream analyses. The effects of ultrasonic aspirators (UAs) on cellular viability, tissue morphology, and molecular quality remain poorly characterized. This study directly compares tissue quality after collection by conventional sharp dissection (SD) vs UA.

Paired tumor specimens were collected intraoperatively from 28 patients undergoing surgical resection of intracranial tumors. Samples collected by SD and UA were obtained from immediately adjacent regions. Cellular viability was assessed by automated cell counting. Tissue architecture was evaluated on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Adherent monolayer cultures were established from paired specimens. RNA concentration and functional integrity were assessed by spectrophotometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction of 4 housekeeping genes (GAPDH, TBP, HPRT1, and PGK1).

Cellular viability was higher in SD compared with UA specimens (80.25% ± 9.70% vs 72.33% ± 9.52%; P = .0364). Higher UA power settings inversely correlated with cell viability (P = .0490). Histopathological examination confirmed diagnostic adequacy of both methods. Cell culture establishment was successful for all specimens. RNA concentration was significantly greater in SD vs UA specimens (median 88.8 vs 14.2 ng/µL; P = .0420). Despite differences in RNA yield, housekeeping gene amplification was comparable across methods (all P > .05).

SD preserves cellular viability, RNA concentration, and tissue architecture more effectively than ultrasonic aspiration. However, both methods yielded tissue suitable for histopathological diagnosis and in vitro culture. These findings support a dual-collection strategy.