CRYOPRESERVATION OF ARTERIES

This paper characterises the rabbit common carotid artery as an animal model for human small elastic arteries and reports the results of sto rage at 4-degrees-C and cryopreservation using a standard technique wi th dimethyl sulphoxide, slow cooling and rapid warming. Some deteriora tion of smooth muscle function was observed after 5 days at 4-degrees- C. Tissue that was cryopreserved in 1.2 or 1.8 mol/l dimethyl sulphoxi de showed undiminished sensitivity to the agonists studied and retaine d almost-equal-to 40% of its initial smooth muscle contractility and a lmost-equal-to 60% of its capacity to relax in response to endothelium -derived relaxation factor.