Abstract
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is one of the useful cryoprotective agents for a variety of cells and tissues allowing prolonged storage at subzero temperatures. Since most of the optimum DMSO concentrations for the different cells and tissues cryopreservations are similar, we predict the reason for the optimum DMSO concentration by measuring the thermodynamic properties of culture medium including DMSO and by observing the toxicity of DMSO on the neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. The melting point measurements suggest that the larger DMSO concentration medium has lower melting points, which would prevent the cell damage by ice reformation during the thawing process. However, such medium has higher toxic effect on the cryopreserved cells. These two contrary factors can predict the optimum concentration of DMSO in the medium for the cryopreservation of cells including the cardiac myocytes.
