The effect of dimethylsulfoxide on the water transport response of rat liver tissue during freezing

This work investigates the biophysical response of water transport in a cli nically important tissue type-liver-to freezing in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Sprague-Dawley rat liver tissue samples were frozen in RP MI media supplemented with 1 and 2 M DMSO at a cooling rate of 5 degrees C/ min. The water transport was measured by cell volumetric changes as assesse d by low temperature freeze substitution microscopy and image analysis. The se data were compared to a previous study where liver in the absence of DMS O was cooled at the same rate and shown to be completely dehydrated at -20 degrees C [27]. Curve-fitting a water transport model to the experimental d ata showed that L-pg and E-Lp drop from 1.9 mu m/min-atm and 69 kcal/mole i n the absence of DMSO [27] to 0.033 mu m/min-atm and 8.1 kcal/mol in 2 M DM SO. The available data were unable to support a statistically significant d ifference between the 1 M and 2 M DMSO parameters.