NATURE OF THE VEHICLE SOLUTION FOR CRYOPRESERVATION OF HUMAN PERIPHERAL VEINS - PRESERVATION OF REACTIVITY TO PHARMACOLOGICAL STIMULI

Rings from human saphenous vein and its side branches were randomly distributed into three groups for investigations in vitro unfrozen and after storage for 2-8 weeks at -196 degrees C while suspended in media containing fetal calf serum (FCS) or Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution as vehicles for the cryoprotecting agents (2.0 M Me(2)SO and 0.1 M sucrose). After thawing, the contractile responses to agonists such as noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and the thromboxane analogue U46619 were reduced by about 30-40%. Endothelium-independent relaxant responses to papaverine and the potassium channel activator bimakalim were well maintained and similar to untreated control tissues. The use of KH solution instead of FCS as the cryoprotectant vehicle did not negatively influence post-thaw functional recovery, suggesting that for optimal functional preservation of human venous smooth muscle the presence of FCS in the cryomedium is not required. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.