Comparison of optical measurement and electrical measurement techniques for the study of osmotic responses of cell suspensions

Atl understanding of the osmotic response of cells during freezing and thaw ing is critical to the development of successful cryopreservation protocols . Calculation of osmotic parameters requires a detailed description of the cell volume. Two common ways to measure volume changes are to use optical m easurement techniques or an electronic particle counter. The purpose of thi s investigation was to compare the effectiveness of these two techniques in measuring the osmotic response of human keratinocytes that were exposed to hypo- and hypertonic salt solutions. The osmotic parameters calculated usi ng the two methods were not significantly different. Both the optical measu rement method and the electronic particle counter have inherent advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when conducting osmotic studies.