title: Damages to the extracellular matrix in articular cartilage due to cryopreservation by microscopic magnetic resonance imaging and biochemistry.
abstract: To investigate the damages to the extracellular matrix in articular cartilage due to cryopreservation, the depth-dependent concentration profiles of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in 34 cartilage specimens from canine humeral heads were imaged at 13-mum pixel resolution using the in vitro version of the dGEMRIC protocol in microscopic MRI (microMRI). In addition, a biochemical assay was used to determine the GAG loss from the tissue to the solution where the tissue was immersed. For specimens that had been frozen at -20 degrees C or -80 degrees C without any cryoprotectant, a significant loss of GAG (as high as 56.5%) was found in cartilage, dependent upon the structural zones of the tissue and the conditions of cryopreservation. The cryoprotective abilities of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a function of its concentration in saline and storage temperature were also investigated. A 30% DMSO concentration was sufficient in preventing the reduction of GAG in the tissue at the -20 degrees C storage temperature, but a 50% concentration of DMSO was necessary for the -80 degrees C cryopreservation. These imaging results were verified by the biochemical analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Biomedical Research, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.
authors.forename: Shaokuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bidthanapally
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badar
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilsar
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duvoisin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004285:Dogs; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans