J024042 Morphological Change of Differentiated PC12 Cells after Freezing and Thawing

Abstract

In cryobiology, the freezing of cells and tissues requires further detailed study to clarify the mechanisms of freezing injury and protection by cryoprotectants, and to extend the application of cryosurgery and cryopreservation. Generally, the freezing and thawing behavior of cells depends on the properties of the cells. The freezing of mature neurons has largely been neglected, despite the fact that freezing these cells is useful for the efficient preparation of experimental materials in medicine/poison screening and other neuroscience research. The freezing of mature neurons is also very attractive for studying cell morphology because of their characteristic long, thread-like neurites extending from the cell body. The present study analyzed changes in cell morphology and cytoskeleton to show the influence of cooling rate and attained minimum temperature during cooling.