X-Message-Number: 15974
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 08:02:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: beraprost sodium improves cryopreservation

Title
  Improved recovery of
  cryopreserved canine islets by use of beraprost sodium.
Source
  Pancreas.  19(3):289-96, 1999 Oct.
Abstract
  Cryopreservation of pancreatic islets provides many advantages for clinical
  transplantation. Unfortunately, the freezing and thawing processes lead to a
  significant loss of islets. In this study, an attempt was made to increase
  the yield and viability of islets after cryopreservation and thawing. By
  using canine islets, we evaluated whether beraprost sodium (BPS), a stable
  prostacyclin analog, protects islets during the freeze-thaw processes and
  improves the recovery of frozen-thawed islets. Canine islets
  were frozen and thawed by the procedures used routinely for storage of human
  islets. In this study, we deliberately used islets of lower purity
  (60+/-3.6%), which is undesirable for cryopreservation. The
  recovery of viable islets after thawing is poorer with
  islets of lower purity than with highly purified islets. BPS was added to
  both the cryopreservation solutions containing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and
  the thawing solution containing sucrose. After thawing, the islet
  recovery (islet number after thawing divided by islet number
  before freezing) was 71.1+/-12.7% with 1 nM BPS, 77.8+/-5.6% with 10 nM BPS,
  79.3+/-6.7% with 100 nM BPS, and 69.2+/-7.2% in control preparations without
  BPS. Islet viability assessed by supravital staining was 57.5+/-5.6%,
  64.7+/-7.0%, 67.5+/-6.5%, and 57.7+/-4.9% with 1 nM, 10 nM, and 100 nM BPS
  and controls, respectively. Both islet recovery and
  viability were significantly better with 10 nM and 100 nM BPS than with the
  controls (p<0.03). After 3 days in culture, islet numbers in the 10 nM and
  100 nM BPS groups were significantly higher and showed better insulin-release
  responses than those from the 1 nM BPS and control groups. Histologically,
  islet structure was well preserved in the 10 nM and 100 nM BPS groups,
  whereas many islets of the control group were smaller and fragmented.
  Electron microscopic examination revealed that 10 nM and 100 nM BPS preserved
  the microstructure of islet cells, and signs of apoptosis or necrosis were
  rare. It was concluded that BPS improved the
  recovery and viability of canine islets after
  cryopreservation and thawing. BPS would be a useful agent for improving the
  recovery of cryopreserved human islets for
  clinical transplantation.

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