X-Message-Number: 2947
From: 
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 94 16:00:18 EDT
Subject: SCI. CRYONICS sheep stages 3,4

Dr. Pichugin and Dr. Zhegunov have completed their report of the 3rd stage of
their repetition and extension of the Cryonics Institute  sheep head
work--freezing to liquid nitrogen temperature and thawing again, but without
perfusion--and also a very brief initial report on the 4th stage,
wash/perfuse/freeze/thaw.

The full reports will appear in THE IMMORTALIST, but part may be delayed past
the September issue (mailed in August) if we do not have the photos in time;
and the final report will also depend on timing of receipt of the final set
of photos.

Very briefly, after freeze/thaw WITHOUT  perfusion (but using the slow
cool/warm procedure that CI used) no cracks were observed at the visible
level, but severe damage was observed with both the light microscope and the
electron microscope. Details are given. As far as we know, there is nothing
very new here, although we still have to study the details.

In the very brief initial report of the 4th stage, however--freeze/thaw
according to the Cryonics Institute sheep head procedure, including perfusion
with glycerol--again no cracking was observed at the visible level. This
confirms our observation, and is in clear contrast to results with human
patients by other procedures where cracking was observed at all levels,
including sizable cracks in skin and surface tissues. 

They report also that they did not have success in washing out the glycerol
after thawing.

We await the results of the microscopic examination of the 4th stage, and of
the assessment of glycerol concentration in the brain tissues. Then we may be
able to decide whether the CI procedures provided any on-balance benefit,
compared to others, and whether improvements suggest themselves to be tested.

Robert Ettinger


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