X-Message-Number: 7456
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 11:17:33 -0500 (EST)
From: "Henry R. Hirsch" <>
Subject: Cryoprotectants, "Dryoprotectants" and Glucose

I would be grateful for answers or suggestions for finding published answers
to a couple of technical questions:


1.      Has glucose been studied as a cryoprotectant in humans or other mammals?

Background:  Glucose serves as the major cryoprotectant in the
freeze-tolerant frog R. Sylvatica (1).  If effective, advantages to its use
in human cryonics patients would include: (a) Apart from glycosylation
reactions, it is nontoxic.  (b)  It crosses the blood-brain barrier.

2.      Has glucose been studied as a "dryoprotectant", i. e. a substance
which stabilizes cell membranes against dehydration?

Background:  According to Hochachka and Guppy (2), well-known
cryoprotectants provide such stability and are essential to the survival of
anhydrobiotes.  If glucose or another suitable agent were to function
similarly in humans, freeze-drying would provide a desirable alternative to
low-temperature suspension.  Maintenance of the patient would be much
simpler.  "Passive encapsulation in a sealed container would replace
"active" liquid nitrogen storage.

References.

1.      Hochachka, P. W. and Guppy, M.  Metabolic Arrest and the Control of
Biological Time, Harvard, Cambridge (1987).  p. 136.

2.      Ibid.  p. 150.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Henry R. Hirsch                      
 Department of Physiology                   Phone: (606)323-5438
 MS508 Chandler Medical Center              Fax:   (606)323-1070
 University of Kentucky                     E-Mail: 
 Lexington, KY 40536-0084
 USA


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