Freezing without surrounding cryomedium preserves the endothelium and its function in human internal mammary arteries

Abstract Purpose Cryopreserved human blood vessels may become important tools in bypass surgery. Optimal cryopreservation of an arterial graft should, therefore, preserve both histological and physiological characteristics of smooth muscle and endothelium comparable to the unfrozen artery. Methods Rings from human internal mammary arteries (IMA) were investigated in vitro either unfrozen or after immersion into a cryomedium (RPMI 1640 containing 1.8 M Me2SO and 0.1 M sucrose) and cryostorage with and without surrounding medium. Results In unfrozen IMA, neither contractile responses to noradrenaline (NA) nor endothelium-dependent relaxant responses to acetylcholine (ACH) was modified after e…