Fundamental Characteristics of Freezing of Mature Nerve Cells Related to Cryosurgery and Cryopreservation

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24360083
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Thermal engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: ISHIGURO HIROSHI 九州工業大学, 生命体工学研究科(研究院), 教授 (30176177)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 熱工学 / 生体熱工学 / 凍結手術 / 凍結保存 / 成熟神経細胞 / 凍結融解挙動 / 生存性 / 形態変化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Understanding of freezing characteristics of mature nerve cells is important from the viewpoint of application: cryosurgery and cryopreservation, but also fundamentally because of the unique morphology of the nerve cells with neurites. Microscopic behaviors of freezing and thawing of the mature nerve cells were investigated. Beading and shortening of neurites after freezing and thawing were found and such morphological changes were quantified under various freezing conditions. Next, the effect of a common cryoprotectant, 10v/v% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), on the freezing and thawing behaviors of the cells was investigated. The results show that DMSO largely reduced such morphological change of neurites and largely improved the post-thaw cell viability.

Free Research Field

工学　機械工学　熱工学