X-Message-Number: 7441
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 04:00:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: reducing cryoprotectant toxicity

     The following quote details a simple procedure for reducing the
 toxicity of ethylene glycol. This procedure may have application for
 other cryoprotectants as well.

     "An additional observation made during these experiments was that
 analytical grade ethylene glycol from a freshly opened bottle appeared to
 induce toxic changes resulting in poor function and very high enzyme
 levels. These changes were not observed when ethylene glycol had been
 allowed to stand in an open beaker at 37 C for 48 hrs. As ethylene glycol
 is commercially prepared from ethylene oxide gas, a very toxic substance
 used in sterilization procedures, we considered it possible that some of
 this gas remained dissolved in the ethylene glycol and diffused out or
 evaporated off when the fluid was exposed to air."

 Reference: Cryobiology 6(3) p 243 1969


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