X-Message-Number: 9437
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 01:48:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: vitrification with ethylene glycol

Authors
  Shaw JM.  Kuleshova LL.  MacFarlane DR.  Trounson AO.
Institution
  Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Clayton,
  Victoria 3168, Australia.
Title
  Vitrification properties of solutions of ethylene glycol in
  saline containing PVP, Ficoll, or dextran.
Source
  Cryobiology.  35(3):219-29, 1997 Nov.
Abstract
  Vitrification solutions which are used for cells or embryos
  generally contain cryoprotectant, physiological saline, and one or more
  macromolecular solutes. The macromolecules modify the
  vitrification tendencies of these solutions, but there is
  little detailed information on the vitrification properties
  of ethylene glycol solutions containing the additives PVP, Ficoll, and
  dextran. This study therefore added ethylene glycol to 0.9% NaCl in water
  (saline) and used differential scanning calorimetry to determine the lowest
  concentration at which the solution would remain vitreous when a warming rate
  of 10 degrees C/min was used. In the absence of other additives 59 wt%
  ethylene glycol (EG) in saline formed a stable glass. When ethylene glycol
  was replaced by the polymers Ficoll and/or dextran on a weight for weight
  basis, the resulting solution vitrified less readily than an EG-saline
  solution even though the total solute concentration was kept constant. The
  total solute concentration required to form a stable vitreous solution
  increased as the Ficoll 70,000 and 400,000 MW or dextran 78,000 MW content
  increased (5, 10, and 20 wt%). Ficoll and dextran had little or no effect on
  the glass transition and melting points of the solutions. In the presence of
  PVP vitrification occurred at a total solute concentration
  of 59 wt% (PVP 360,000 MW) or 60 wt% (PVP 40,000 MW) for all three tested PVP
  concentrations (5, 10, and 20 wt%). Although this indicates that PVP and EG
  have comparable vitrification properties, the melting and
  the glass transition temperature of the solutions rose as the PVP content
  increased. When 1 m sucrose was added to saline and 0, 5, 10, or 20 wt% PVP
  40,000 MW vitrification was achieved with 31, 26, 23, and
  15% EG, respectively, indicating that the total solute concentration required
  for vitrification could be estimated with reasonable
  accuracy from the sum of the individual components. We conclude that the
  tested polymers differ in how they interact with ethylene glycol-based
  vitrification solutions. Copyright 1997 Academic Press.

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