Effect of cryopreservation on proliferative features of neural progenitor cells derived from olfactory bulb of embryonic rat.
OBJECTIVE
Stem cell research offers unique opportunities for developing new medical therapies for devastating diseases and a new way to explore fundamental questions of biology. The use of olfactory bulb neural progenitor cells for transplantation requires efficient recovery methods and cryopreservation procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine cryopreservation techniques for neural progenitor cells derived from olfactory bulb (OB NPCs) of embryonic rat.


METHODS
Initially, we compared the survival rates of cryopreserved OB NPCs using three cryoprotectants: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol with or without 10% FBS. Cells were held at liquid nitrogen (-186 degrees C) for 7 days ("short-term storage") or 6 months ("long-term storage"). We assessed OB NPCs recovery efficiency after freezing and thawing by viability testing, colony-forming ability and immunocytochemistry under different conditions.


RESULTS
The survival rate of cryopreserved-thawed OB NPCs was estimated by counting colony numbers under a stereomicroscope. No significant difference in survival rate was observed between cryoprotectants.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations indicate that cryopreservation of OB NPCs is possible for up to 6 months in optimal conditions without losing proliferation activity.
Xue
Tao
T
Department of Otolaryngology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. xuetao@fmmu.edu.cn
Wei
Li
L
Zheng
Ran-Hong
RH
Qiao
Li
L
Qiu
Jian-Hua
JH
Chen
Fu-Quan
FQ
Lu
Lian-Jun
LJ
Zha
Ding-Jun
DJ
Han
Yu
Y
Chen
Jun
J
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015925:Cryopreservation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley / Q000196:embryology