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 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7456