FRACTURES IN CRYOPRESERVED ARTERIES

The common carotid artery of the rabbit, a typical small elastic arter y, can be cryopreserved using dimethyl sulfoxide, slow cooling, storag e at less than -160 degrees C, and rapid warming. This technique provi des satisfactory preservation of muscle and endothelial cells, but in about 75% of cases, gross circumferential fractures occur in the vesse l wall. This paper investigates the influence of vehicle solution comp osition, cryoprotectant concentration, cooling rate, and storage tempe rature on the occurrence of cracks. When cooling was halted at -80 deg rees C and the arteries were stored at this temperature, fractures no longer occurred. Possible mechanisms are discussed and it is proposed that mechanical stresses develop in the vitreous material that separat es the ice crystals and lead to structural failure. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.