VIRUCIDAL EFFECT OF GLYCEROL AS USED IN DONOR SKIN PRESERVATION

Glycerol has been used for a long time as a viral preservation medium in tissue samples at a 50 per cent concentration, however after a limi ted time span viruses could no longer be detected. This fat combined w ith the dehydrating action of glycerol, raised the suspicion that glyc erol in a higher concentration could be virucidal. To test this hypoth esis, experiments were done at various concentrations of glycerol at t hree different temperatures (4, 20 and 37-degrees-C), using the follow ing viruses: herpes simplex virus, a virus with an envelope, comparabl e to human immuodeficiency virus; and poliovirus as an example of smal l, hard to inactivate viruses without an envelope. Glycerol will dehyd rate the skin, the extracted water being replaced by glycerol, preserv ing the original structure. The remaining water is optimally distribut ed throughout the tissue. However, the possibility exists that glycero l influences the enzymatic processes of nucleic acid breakdown. Plasmi d DNA pBR322 was added to HeLa-cells in the presence and absence of gl ycerol. The outcome of the experiments showed that glycerol has a stro ng virucidal action, Preservation in 85 per cent glycerol was preferre d, because using this concentration the glycerolized allograft skin re tained its suppleness and was easy to manipulate during operations.