Name: bulk droplet vitrification for primary hepatocyte preservation
Uploaded: 2019-10-25T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Bulk Droplet Vitrification for Primary Hepatocyte Preservation at JoVE.com

Funding from the US National Institutes of Health (R01DK096075, R01DK107875, and R01DK114506) and the US Department of Defense (DoD RTRP W81XWH-17-1-0680) is greatly acknowledged.

The primary hepatocyte isolations for this protocol were performed by the Cell Resource Core (CRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The animal protocol (#2011N000111) was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Massachusetts General Hospital.
1. Bulk droplet vitrification
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the vitrification solutions.
	<ol>
		<li>Add 40 mg of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to 17.0 mL of University of Wisconsin solution...

<ol>
	<li>Carpentier, B., Gautier, A., Legallais, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Artificial+and+bioartificial+liver+devices:+present+and+future.">Artificial and bioartificial liver devices: present and future.</a> Gut. 58 (12), 1690-1702 (2009).</li><li>Fox, I. J., Chowdhury, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hepatocyte+transplantation:+Hepatocyte+transplantation.">Hepatocyte transplantation: Hepatocyte transplantation.</a> American Journal of Transplantation. 4, 7-13 (2004).</li><li>Hughes, R. D., Mitry, R. R., Dhawan, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Current+Status+of+Hepatocyte+Transplantation.">Current Status of Hepatocyte Transplantation.</a> Transplantation. 93 (4), 342-347 (2012).</li><li>St&#233;phenne, X., Najimi, M., Sokal, E. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hepatocyte+cryopreservation:+is+it+time+to+change+the+strategy.">Hepatocyte cryopreservation: is it time to change the strategy.</a> World Journal of Gastroenterology. 16 (1), 1-14 (2010).</li><li>Terry, C., Dhawan, A., Mitry, R. R., Lehec, S. C., Hughes, R. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimization+of+the+cryopreservation+and+thawing+protocol+for+human+hepatocytes+for+use+in+cell+transplantation.">Optimization of the cryopreservation and thawing protocol for human hepatocytes for use in cell transplantation.</a> Liver Transplantation. 16 (2), 229-237 (2010).</li><li>Pegg, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Principles+of+cryopreservation.">Principles of cryopreservation.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 368, 39 (2007).</li><li>Baust, J. G., Gao, D., Baust, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cryopreservation:+An+emerging+paradigm+change.">Cryopreservation: An emerging paradigm change.</a> Organogenesis. 5 (3), 90-96 (2009).</li><li>Hopkins, J. B., Badeau, R., Warkentin, M., Thorne, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+common+cryoprotectants+on+critical+warming+rates+and+ice+formation+in+aqueous+solutions.">Effect of common cryoprotectants on critical warming rates and ice formation in aqueous solutions.</a> Cryobiology. 65 (3), 169-178 (2012).</li><li>Fahy, G. M., MacFarlane, D. R., Angell, C. A., Meryman, H. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Vitrification+as+an+approach+to+cryopreservation.">Vitrification as an approach to cryopreservation.</a> Cryobiology. 21 (4), 407-426 (1984).</li><li>Demirci, U., Montesano, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+encapsulating+droplet+vitrification.">Cell encapsulating droplet vitrification.</a> Lab on a Chip. 7 (11), 1428 (2007).</li><li>El Assal, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bio-Inspired+Cryo-Ink+Preserves+Red+Blood+Cell+Phenotype+and+Function+During+Nanoliter+Vitrification.">Bio-Inspired Cryo-Ink Preserves Red Blood Cell Phenotype and Function During Nanoliter Vitrification.</a> Advanced Materials. 26 (33), 5815-5822 (2014).</li><li>Dou, R., Saunders, R. 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J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bulk+Droplet+Vitrification:+An+Approach+to+Improve+Large-Scale+Hepatocyte+Cryopreservation+Outcome.">Bulk Droplet Vitrification: An Approach to Improve Large-Scale Hepatocyte Cryopreservation Outcome.</a> Langmuir. , (2019).</li><li>Parmegiani, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sterilization+of+liquid+nitrogen+with+ultraviolet+irradiation+for+safe+vitrification+of+human+oocytes+or+embryos.">Sterilization of liquid nitrogen with ultraviolet irradiation for safe vitrification of human oocytes or embryos.</a> Fertility and Sterility. 94 (4), 1525-1528 (2010).</li><li>Best, B. 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Cryopreservation of hepatocytes by slow-freezing results in reduced viability and metabolic function. Vitrification offers a promising alternative for classic cryopreservation, as freezing injury is completely avoided9. However, pre-incubation with CPAs is required to lower the critical cooling rate8. Consequently, vitrification is hampered by CPA toxicity17 and limited to small sample volumes. In efforts to overcome these limitations the bulk drople...

Loss of cell viability and metabolic function after cryopreservation of hepatocytes is still a major issue that limits clinical applications1,2,3. The benchmark method of hepatocyte cryopreservation is slow-freezing, which is performed by pre-incubating the hepatocytes with CPA (dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], glucose, and albumin) and subsequent controlled rate freezing (at approximately 1 &#176;C/min) to cryogenic temperatures4,5. Despite many reported optimizations, CPA toxicity together with injurious osmotic imbalances during freezing and mechanical stress of ice formation remain fundamental drawbacks of slow-freezing6,7.
Vitrification offers an advantage over slow-freezing in that injury due to ice formation is completely avoided by a direct phase transition of water into the glass state6. However, to reach the glass transition temperature of pure water (-137 &#176;C), the water must be cooled at rates in the order of one million degrees Celsius per second (i.e., the critical cooling rate) to avoid ice formation above the glass transition temperature8. Addition of CPAs can lower the critical cooling rate and increase the glass transition temperature of aqueous solutions9. However, even with high CPA concentrations (e.g., 40% v/v DMSO or higher) fast cooling rates are nonetheless required for successful vitrification8,9.
The required cooling rates and high CPA concentrations result in two major drawbacks of vitrification. First, to enable fast cooling, the samples must have a low thermal mass. Second, to reach high CPA concentrations while avoiding osmotic injury, CPAs must be slowly introduced and fully equilibrated between the intra- and extracellular compartments6. This increases the exposure time of cells to toxic CPAs. Together, this makes vitrification a cumbersome process that is limited to a few small sized samples (microliters) at a time. Droplet vitrification has been proposed as a potential solution to these restrictions. By exposing miniscule cell-laden droplets (nanoliters) to liquid nitrogen the cooling rate is significantly increased, which consequently allows a considerable reduction in the CPA concentration10,11,12,13,14. Although multiple high frequency droplet-generating nozzles could potentially be used simultaneously, the extremely small droplet size limits the throughput to microliters per minute10, which precludes efficient vitrification of large cell volumes with magnitudes higher processing rates on the order of milliliters per minute.
Recently it was demonstrated that these inherent limitations of vitrification can be overcome by bulk droplet vitrification15. This novel method leverages rapid osmotic dehydration to concentrate an intracellular CPA concentration of 7.5% v/v ethylene glycol and DMSO immediately preceding vitrification, eliminating the need of full equilibration of toxic CPA concentrations. The cellular dehydration is performed in a fluidic device by a brief exposure of the hepatocytes to a high extracellular CPA concentration. Although this exposure causes rapid osmotic dehydration, it is too short for the high CPA concentration to diffuse into the cells. Immediately after dehydration, the cells are loaded in droplets that are directly vitrified in liquid nitrogen. This method eliminates the need of full intracellular uptake of high CPA concentrations while the high extracellular CPA concentration enables vitrification of large sized droplets, resulting in high throughput volumes with minimal CPA toxicity.
Droplet vitrification improves direct and long-term viability after preservation, as well as morphology and metabolic function of primary rat hepatocytes as compared to classical cryopreservation by slow-freezing15. This manuscript provides the methodological details for bulk droplet vitrification of primary rat hepatocytes.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Disposable 3 mL Syringes with Luer-Lok Tips</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>14-823-435</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beaker</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>CLS1000-250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Belzer UW Cold Storage Solution</td>
			<td>Bridge to Life</td>
			<td>BUW-001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A7906</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cole-Parmer Female Luer to 1/16&#34; low-profile semi-rigid tubing barb, PP</td>
			<td>Cole-Parmer</td>
			<td>EW-45508-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cryogentic stroage tank / Cryotank</td>
			<td>Chart Industries</td>
			<td>MVE 800</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dimethyl sulfoxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D8418</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM, powder, high glucose, pyruvate</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>12800-082</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethylene Glycol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>107-21-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Extra long forceps</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>10-316C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fisherbrand Higher-Speed Easy Reader Plastic Centrifuge Tubes - Flat top closure</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>06-443-18</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fishing line</td>
			<td>Stren</td>
			<td>SOFS4-15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liquid nitrogen</td>
			<td>Airgas</td>
			<td>7727-37-9</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Masterflex L/S Platinum-Cured Silicone Tubing, L/S 14</td>
			<td>Cole-Parmer</td>
			<td>EW-96410-14</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mix Tips, For Use With 3HPW1</td>
			<td>Grainger</td>
			<td>3WRL7</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nalgene Polypropylene Powder Funnel</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>4252-0100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Needle 20 ga</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson (BD)</td>
			<td>305175</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm M - Flexible film</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P7793-1EA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Razor Blade</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-640</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Spatula</td>
			<td>Cole-Parmer</td>
			<td>EW-06369-18</td>
			<td>&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Steriflip sterile filter</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>SE1M179M6</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose (Crystalline/Certified ACS)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S5-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe Pump</td>
			<td>New Era Pump Systems Inc.</td>
			<td>NE-1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thermo-Flask Benchtop Liquid Nitrogen Container</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>2122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

bulk droplet vitrification for primary hepatocyte preservation

Vitrification is a promising ice-free alternative for classic slow-freezing (at approximately 1 &#176;C/min) cryopreservation of biological samples. Vitrification requires extremely fast cooling rates to achieve transition of water into the glass phase while avoiding injurious ice formation. Although pre-incubation with cryoprotective agents (CPA) can reduce the critical cooling rate of biological samples, high concentrations are generally needed to enable ice-free cryopreservation by vitrification. As a result, vitrification is hampered by CPA toxicity and restricted to small samples that can be cooled fast. It was recently demonstrated that these inherent limitations can be overcome by bulk droplet vitrification. Using this novel method, cells are first pre-incubated with a low intracellular CPA concentration. Leveraging rapid osmotic dehydration, the intracellular CPA is concentrated directly ahead of vitrification, without the need to fully equilibrate toxic CPA concentrations. The cellular dehydration is performed in a fluidic device and integrated with continuous high throughput generation of large sized droplets that are vitrified in liquid nitrogen. This ice-free cryopreservation method with minimal CPA toxicity is suitable for large cell quantities and results in increased hepatocyte viability and metabolic function as compared to classical slow-freezing cryopreservation. This manuscript describes the methods for successful bulk droplet vitrification in detail.

Freshly isolated primary hepatocytes from five different rat livers were used for a direct comparison of bulk droplet vitrification to classic cryopreservation using the preeminent slow-freezing protocols reported in the literature4,5. In short, the hepatocytes were suspended in UW supplemented with BSA (2.2 mg/mL), glucose (333 mM), and DMSO (10% v/v) and frozen using a controlled rate freezer. After storage at -196 &#176;C, the samples were thawed in a warm wat...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Bulk Droplet Vitrification for Primary Hepatocyte Preservation at JoVE.com

Bulk Droplet Vitrification for Primary Hepatocyte Preservation

This manuscript describes an ice-free cryopreservation method for large quantities of rat hepatocytes whereby primary cells are pre-incubated with cryoprotective agents at a low concentration and vitrified in large droplets.

Vitrification is a promising ice-free alternative for classic slow-freezing (at approximately 1 &#176;C/min) cryopreservation of biological samples. ...

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