title: Deterioration of cold-stored tissue specimens due to lipid peroxidation: modulation by antioxidants at high subzero temperatures.
abstract: It is often necessary to store tissue specimens in subzero conditions for assay in batches. During storage at -20 degrees C we found that sufficient lipid peroxidation occurred in rat liver homogenates in phosphate-buffered saline to affect subsequent malondialdehyde assays. This peroxidation did not occur at -196 degrees C. The ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione increased with storage at -20 degrees C and the level of conjugated dienes increased progressively. The addition of a specific free radical scavenger, superoxide dismutase (200 u/ml) reduced the level of malondialdehyde (P < 0.001) during -20 degrees C storage for periods of 28 days but failed to prevent the changes in the glutathione ratio or dienes. Storage in a less specific free radical scavenger, 0.25 molar sucrose/EDTA, instead of phosphate-buffered saline totally prevented the malondialdehyde production over similar storage periods.
authors: University Department of Surgery, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, Hampstead, London, United Kingdom.
authors: G S
authors: GS
authors: Whiteley
authors: B J
authors: BJ
authors: Fuller
authors: K E
authors: KE
authors: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione