title: [Methods of cryopreservation in animal experiments].
abstract: A slow computer-controlled program for cryopreservation of mouse embryos at the 4 to 8 cell stage was compared with various methods of ultrarapid cooling, 104 embryos were frozen by using the slow cooling program, 79% of the embryos developed to blastocysts after thawing, 63 embryos were vitrified and 81% reached the blastocyst stage within 2 days of culture. Using the ultrarapid cooling program A (4-step aequilibration of embryos in cryoprotectant) 62% of embryos survived after freezing and thawing. Only 12% survival rate could be achieved by employing the ultrarapid program B (2-step aequilibration of embryos in cryoprotectant). The significantly higher survival rate of program A compared to program B was due to the longer aequilibration time and therefore presumably higher intracellular concentration of cryoprotectant. In program B the short aequilibration time with the cryoprotectant seemed to result in an inadequate dehydration of blastomeres leading to intracellular ice formation and cell destruction.
authors.affiliation: II. Universitäts-Frauenklinik Wien.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinthaller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D012984:Software; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
vernacular_title: Methoden der Kryokonservierung im Tierexperiment.