Phosphate-buffered saline-based nucleofection of primary endothelial cells

Although various nonviral transfection methods are available, cell toxicity, low transfection efficiency, and high cost remain hurdles for in vitro gene delivery in cultured primary endothelial cells. Recently, unprecedented transfection efficiency for primary endothelial cells has been achieved due to the newly developed nucleofection technology that uses a combination of novel electroporation condition and specific buffer components that stabilize the cells in the electrical field. Despite superior transfection efficiency and cell viability, high cost of the technology has discouraged cardiovascular researchers from liberally adopting this new technology. Here we report that a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-based nucleofection method can be used for efficient gene delivery into primary endothelial cells and other types of cells. Comparative analyses of transfection efficiency and cell viability for primary arterial, venous, microvascular, and lymphatic endothelial cells were performed using PBS. Compared with the commercial buffers, PBS can support equally remarkable nucleofection efficiency to both primary and nonprimary cells. Moreover, PBS-mediated nucleofection of small interfering RNA (siRNA) showed more than 90% knockdown of the expression of target genes in primary endothelial cells. We demonstrate that PBS can be an unprecedented economical alternative to the high-cost buffers or nucleofection of various primary and nonprimary cells.     

Effects of freezing of bovine preimplantation embryos derived from oocytes fertilized in vitro on survival of their inner cell mass cells

The morphology of the inner cell mass (ICM) cells and the proportion of dead ICM cells in frozen-thawed bovine preimplantation embryos were investigated by differential fluorochrome staining. Embryos at the blastocyst stage of development were frozen and thawed by two different techniques (three-step and one-step) in two different basic salt solutions (PBS and TCM 199) containing 1.36M glycerol. After thawing and glycerol removal, embryos were co-cultured in a cumulus cells monolayer in TCM 199 for 48 hr (morula) or 24 hr (blastocysts). Differential cell counts of the ICM and trophectoderm were then done using differential fluorochrome staining. Overall, there was no significant difference in the viability of embryos frozen in the two basic salt solutions. Low proportions of dead ICM cells were observed in embryos frozen at the morula stage in both PBS (19.1%) or TCM 199 (18.0%). However, blastocyst stage embryos frozen by the three-step technique had a higher (P < 0.05) proportion of dead ICM cells in TCM 199 (37.7%) than in PBS (18.2%). Blastocysts frozen by the one-step technique had a higher (P < 0.05) proportion of dead ICM cells (42.2%) than those frozen by the three-step technique (18.2%), regardless of basic salt solutions. Results indicate that freezing and thawing damages ICM cells in morphologically normal embryos and that the degree of damage depended on the basic salt solution and the freezing method. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Impact of electrolyte solution on electrochemical oxidation treatment of Escherichia coli K-12 by boron-doped diamond electrodes

We studied the disinfection efficacy of boron-doped electrodes on Escherichia coli-contaminated water-based solutions in three different electrolytes, physiological solution (NaCl), phosphate buffer (PB), and phosphate buffer saline (PBS). The effect of the electrochemical oxidation treatment on the bacteria viability was studied by drop and spread plate cultivation methods, and supported by optical density measurements. We have found that bacterial suspensions in NaCl and PBS underwent a total inactivation of all viable bacteria within 10 min of the electrochemical treatment. By contrast, experiments performed in the PB showed a relatively minor decrease of viability by two orders of magnitude after 2 h of the treatment, which is almost comparable with the untreated control. The enhanced bacterial inactivation was assigned to reactive chlorine species, capable of penetrating the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane and killing bacteria from within.     

Electrical determination of viability in saline-treated mouse myeloma cells.

Suspension of mouse myeloma cells in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) induced a significant amount of cell death. The lethal effects of PBS include an increase in cell lysis, a decreased ability of cells to exclude trypan blue, and a decrease in the colony-forming ability of these cells. Dead cells were also detected on a Coulter counter by the increase in the fraction of cells with a smaller electrical size distribution (ESD). Comparing mixtures of live and dead cells by ESD and trypan-blue exclusion showed a high correlation of electrical size with viability (correlation coefficient = 0.98). Sizing of PBS-treated cells by light microscopy suggested that the altered ESD of the PBS-treated cells was due to a downward shift in the volume distribution. Light-scattering experiments also suggested a decrease in the size of cells after PBS treatment. An increase in permeability of the cell membrane may also contribute to these results. We conclude that electrical sizing is an excellent indicator of physical changes that result from PBS-induced cell death, and is an effective method for distinguishing live and dead mouse myeloma cells after PBS treatment.     

Immobilization ofColeus blumei cells in a column reactor using a spray feeding system

Summary Coleus blumei cells were immobilized in a column reactor packed withLuffa cylindrica pieces. Medium was fed from the top of the column using a spray system and cells maintained high viability for 52 days. Cell growth was slower but rosmarinic acid production was better compared to immobilized cells in the shake flasks.     

PBS2, a yeast gene encoding a putative protein kinase, interacts with the RAS2 pathway and affects osmotic sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast gene PBS2 encodes a presumed protein kinase. The gene is essential for manifestation of resistance to the antibiotic polymyxin B. Deletion of PBS2 enables a ras2-530 null mutant to grow on nonfermentable carbon sources; overexpression of PBS2+ enhances viability of a RAS2Val19 mutant. Overexpression of PBS2+ also diminishes cellular response to mating pheromone MF alpha. These results suggest that the PBS2 and RAS2 genes affect a common pathway that may communicate with the pheromone response pathway. In addition, disruption of PBS2 renders cells sensitive to high osmolarity: exposure to 0.9 M-NaCl causes growth arrest, appearance of bizarre morphological forms, and eventual death. A mutation suppressing pbs2 deletion has been found. That mutation restores full polymyxin B resistance but only partially corrects the osmotic sensitivity defect. These observations indicate that PBS2 is involved in diverse physiological pathways in yeast.     

Radiation-induced generation of chlorine derivatives in N2O-saturated phosphate buffered saline: toxic effects on Escherichia coli cells.

The radiolysis of aqueous chloride solutions has been investigated using pulse and steady-state methods. We have found a correlation between the yields of Cl2- and HOCl formed in pulse-irradiated N2O-saturated solutions. The yields increased with the increasing concentrations of Cl- and phosphate. Phosphate enhanced the yield of Cl2- in neutral solutions because of a proton transfer from H2PO4- to HOCl- with a rate constant of (2.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(8) M-1s-1. HOCl could not be detected in pulse-irradiated He or air-saturated, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solutions or in gamma-irradiated N2O, He, or air-saturated PBS solutions. The results are discussed in light of previously suggested mechanisms for the formation and decay of Cl2-. Pulse-irradiated N2O-saturated PBS solutions have a lethal effect on Escherichia coli cells, which is proportional to the amount of HOCl in the solutions. Gamma-irradiation of cells in N2O-saturated PBS solution also raises the radiosensitivity of the cells, although HOCl does not accumulate in this system. The effects of the radiation-induced toxic products on E. coli cells are similar to the effects of NaOCl. The cell membrane is probably the site of physiological injury induced by the radiation products.     

Flow Cytometry Approach to Quantify the Viability of Milk Somatic Cell Counts after Various Physico-Chemical Treatments

Flow cytometry has been used as a routine method to count somatic cells in milk, and to ascertain udder health and milk quality. However, few studies investigate the viability of somatic cells and even fewer at a subpopulation level to follow up how the cells can resist to various stresses that can be encountered during technological processes. To address this issue, a flow cytometry approach was used to simultaneously identify cell types of bovine milk using cell-specific antibodies and to measure the cell viability among the identified subpopulations by using a live/dead cell viability kit. Confirmation of the cell viability was performed by using conventional microscopy. Different physico-chemical treatments were carried out on standardized cell samples, such as heat treatment, various centrifugation rates and storage in milk or in PBS pH 7.4 for three days. Cytometry gating strategy was developed by using blood cell samples stored at 4°C in PBS and milk cell samples heat-treated at 80°C for 30 min as a control for the maximum (95.9%) and minimum (0.7%) values of cell viability respectively. Cell viability in the initial samples was 39.5% for all cells and varied for each cell population from 26.7% for PMNs, to 32.6% for macrophages, and 58.3% for lymphocytes. Regarding the physico-chemical treatments applied, somatic cells did not sustain heat treatment at 60°C and 80°C in contrast to changes in centrifugation rates, for which only the higher level, i.e. 5000×g led to a cell viability decrease, down to 9.4%, but no significant changes within the cell subpopulation distribution were observed. Finally, the somatic cells were better preserved in milk after 72h storage, in particular PMNs, that maintained a viability of 34.0 ± 2.9% compared to 4.9±1.9% in PBS, while there was almost no changes for macrophages (41.7 ± 5.7% in milk vs 31.2 ± 2.4% in PBS) and lymphocytes (25.3 ± 3.0% in milk vs 11.4 ± 3.1% in PBS). This study provides a new array to better understand milk cell biology and to establish the relationship between the cell viability and the release of their endogenous enzymes in dairy matrix.     

Thermally induced gelable polymer networks for living cell encapsulation

We report the encapsulation of MIN6 cells, a pancreatic beta-cell line, using thermally induced gelable materials. This strategy uses aqueous solvent and mild temperatures during encapsulation, thereby minimizing adverse effects on cell function and viability. Using a 2:1 mixture of PNIPAAm-PEG-PNIPAAm tri-block copolymer and PNIPAAm homopolymer that exhibit reversible sol-to-gel transition at approximately 30 degrees C, gels were formed that exhibit mechanical integrity, and are stable in H(2)O, PBS and complete DMEM with negligible mass loss at 37 degrees C for 60 days. MTT assays showed undetectable cytotoxicity of the polymers towards MIN6 cells. A simple microencapsulation process was developed using vertical co-extrusion and a 37 degrees C capsule collection bath containing a paraffin layer above DMEM. Spherical capsules with diameters ranging from 500 to 900 microm were formed. SEM images of freeze-dried capsules with PBS as the core solution showed homogenous gel capsule membranes. Confocal microscopy revealed that the encapsulated cells tended to form small aggregates over 5 days, and staining for live and dead cells showed high viability post-encapsulation. A static glucose challenge with day-5 cultured microencapsulated cells exhibited glucose-dependent insulin secretion comparable to controls of free MIN6 cells grown in monolayers. These results demonstrate the potential use of these thermo-responsive polymers as cell encapsulation membranes.     

Monolayer cultures for immunofluorescent staining from tumor primary explants.

Epithelial cells growing around primary explants of carcinomas in plastic ware are well-suited for modern incident light immunofluorescence microscopy. Epithelial outgrowths in growth culture medium are flushed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and absolute ethanol and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen-isopentane. The walls of the plastic containers bearing the dried monolayer outgrowths are cut out to form microscopic slides. Immunofluorescence tests are made on circular areas demarcated on the monolayers by using small metal cylinders to mask against a water-repellent plastic spray. More than 20 immunofluorescence tests can be performed on a culture 40 X 50 mm.     

Toxicity analysis of encapsulation solutions and polymers in the cultivation of insect cells

Summary Microencapsulation of insect cells, hosts for baculovirus expression systems, requires that the encapsulation reagents and membrane-forming materials be non-toxic to the cells. Various encapsulation polymers (poly-l-lysine, chitosan and alginate) and solutions (KCl, CaCl₂, CHES and sodium citrate) were tested for their toxicity toSpodoptera frugiperda cells. The effects of varying polymer molecular weight and concentration on cell viability were also investigated.     

Monolayer Cultures for Immunofluorescent Staining from Tumor Primary Explants

Epithelial cells growing around primary explants of carcinomas in plastic ware are well-suited for modern incident light immunofluorescence microscopy. Epithelial outgrowths in growth culture medium are flushed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and absolute ethanol and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen-isopentane. the walls of the plastic containers bearing the dried monolayer outgrowths are cut out to form microscope slides. Immunofluorescence testa are made on circular areas demarcated on the monolayers by using small metal cylinders to mask against a water-repellent plastic spray. More than 20 immunofluorescence tests can be performed on a culture 40 × 50 mm.     

应用离心方法提高杆状病毒对哺乳动物细胞转导实验效率

重组杆状病毒作为一种对哺乳动物细胞的新型基因转移载体已获得了日益广泛的应用。为进一步提高转导实验的效率,本研究利用已构建的带有CMV启动子-增强型绿色荧光蛋白(eGFP)表达盒的重组杆状病毒BacV-CMV-EGFPA,在CV-1细胞中探索了应用离心方法提高转导实验效率的可行性。结果显示离心方法可显著提高单位时间内重组杆状病毒对哺乳动物细胞的转导效率,同时不会对靶细胞造成损伤。通过对离心时间、离心后孵育时间、病毒上清的稀释缓冲液的进一步摸索优化,结果显示病毒上清以PBS为稀释缓冲环境室温600g水平离心1h即可获得高水平的转导效率,优于在PBS环境中27℃孵育8h的效果。该方法可在获得高转导效率的同时显著缩短实验时间,具有快捷、高效、低损伤的特点,可作为一种常规操作方法用于日常实验。本研究进一步应用该方法对多种不同来源和类型的哺乳动物细胞株进行基因转导,结果显示该方法可适用于多数不同种属和组织来源的哺乳动物细胞,其中对贴壁细胞的效果最为显著。     

The viability and survival of sporozoites of Eimeria in vitro

Some factors affecting excystation and viability of sporozoites of several species of Eimeria from chickens were examined in vitro. Chicken embryos or cultured kidney cells were inoculated with sporozoites in order to assess viability.Sporozoites of E. tenella survived in phosphate buffer (P.B.S.) containing 0·9 per cent NaCl for 14 days. Some sporozoites survived in solutions containing up to 16 per cent NaCl for 3 days at +4°C. Sporozoites of E. maxima and E. acervulina survived for only 27 h in phosphate buffer containing 1 or 2 per cent NaCl.Sporozoites of E. brunetti, E. maxima, and E. acervulina var: mivati were released rapidly from sporocysts in vitro, but survived for relatively short periods in PBS at 4°C. However, the addition of serum or gelatine to these solutions increased survival to at least 96 h.The viability of sporozoites after freezing and storing in liquid nitrogen was best when 12 per cent dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was added to the sporozoite suspensions. P.B.S. with DMSO was less suitable than the other solutions used and serum or gelatine with the DMSO, was needed to increase survival. Increasing the density of sporozoites in the frozen stabilates did not increase survival.     

Effect of trisodium citrate treatment on hybridoma cell viability

Trisodium citrate has been widely used to dissolve calcium alginate beads in order to estimate cell concentration in the beads. To obtain an accurate measurement of viable cell concentration in calcium alginate beads, the effect of trisodium citrate solutions on hybridoma cell viability was studied with regard to stage of growth and trisodium citrate concentration. The cells in the decline phase of growth were more sensitive to 30 minutes of trisodium citrate treatment than the cells in the exponential phase of growth. The cell viability did not decrease rapidly during citrate treatment regardless of cell growth phase and trisodium citrate concentration in the range of 1–1.5%. By using the commercially available sodium alginate, Keltone LV, dissolution time can be kept short enough (below 5 minutes) to keep the effect of trisodium citrate negligible to cell viability.     

Incorporation of sulfonylurea into N-isopropylacrylamide as an extracellular matrix for an artificial pancreas.

High-molecular-weight N-isopropylacrylamide copolymers with small amounts of sulfonylurea (SU, typically 2-4 mol% in the feed) were synthesized by free radical polymerization in benzene. SU-incorporated polymer solutions (5, 6, 8, and 10% w/v) in a culture medium (pH 7.4, 0.15 M ionic strength) with islet cells were mixed and poured into Millicells which supported gel formation. In order to increase the gelation temperature, the SU-incorporated copolymer gel, p(NiPAAm-co-SU), was blended with the p(NiPAAm-co-AAc) polymer at a ratio of 4 to 96. Interaction between the islet cells and the synthetic matrix of SU-incorporated copolymer gel resulted in effective cell viability and such cell functions as insulin secretion. To verify the specific interaction between the SU (K+ channel closer)-incorporated copolymer and islet cells, the cells were pretreated with diazoxide, an agonist of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (K+ channel opener), before interaction between the polymer and islet cells. This treatment suppressed the action of SU on the islet cells. The results from this study provide evidence that the SU-incorporated copolymer stimulated insulin secretion by specific interaction between SU moieties in the polymer and the islet cells.     

Impact of mild heat treatments on induction of thermotolerance in the biocontrol yeast Candida sake CPA-1 and viability after spray-drying

Aims: The objective of this study was to examine the induction of thermotolerance in the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA‐1 cells by mild heat treatments to enhanced survival of formulations using spray‐drying. The possible role of heat‐shock proteins (HSPs) biosynthesis in induced thermotolerance and the role of sugars and sugar alcohols were also determined. Methods and Results: Studies were conducted on C. sake cells grown in molasses medium and exposed to mild temperatures of 30 and 33°C during mid‐ (16 h), late‐exponential (24 h), early‐ (30 h) and mid‐stationary (36 h) growth phases. The effect on viability was determined both before and after spray‐drying. Cycloheximide and chloramphenicol were used to examine the role of HSPs and HPLC was used to analyse the accumulation of sugar and sugar alcohols. The results indicate that both temperatures induced thermotolerance in cells of C. sake. Mild heat‐adapted cells at 33°C in the early‐ or mid‐stationary phases had survival values after spray‐drying significantly higher (P ≤ 0·05) than nonadapted cells. However, viabilities were not high enough to be considered for commercial use with values up to 17%. HSPs were not implicated in thermotolerance acquired by mild heat‐adapted cells as similar viabilities were obtained in the presence of protein inhibitors. Little change was observed in sugar and sugar alcohols with an increase in glucose and arabitol in some treatments. Conclusions: This study suggests that it is possible to induce thermotolerance in biocontrol yeasts such as C. sake. However, this does not improve survival of cells exposed to spray‐drying sufficiently to consider this a suitable formulation method for this biocontrol agent. HSPs, sugars and sugar polyols were not directly responsible for induced thermotolerance in yeast cells. Significance and Impact of the Study: This type of information can be effectively applied to improve the viability of cells in the process of formulation.     

Temperature and calcium ions affect aggregation of mesenchymal stem cells in phosphate buffered saline

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are being extensively studied as potential therapeutic agents for various diseases and have demonstrated tremendous promise to date. To reduce immunological and inflammatory reaction upon delivery of MSC in situ, the cells are often suspended in protein-free and nutrient-poor buffered saline solution at high titers and kept on ice (0 °C) until completion of the transplantation procedure. This study investigated the effects of suspending MSC (5 × 10⁶ cells/mL) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with and without calcium, over a time course of 90 and 180 min, at temperatures of 0 and 37 °C. The results at 0 °C showed a small but significant decrease in cell viability within calcium-free PBS after 180 min, whereas no significant changes in cell viability were observed with PBS containing calcium. Additionally, it was observed that significant aggregation of MSC into cellular clumps occurred when incubated in PBS at 0 °C, with a higher degree of aggregation occurring under calcium-free conditions. By contrast at 37 °C, there was a more pronounced decrease in cell viability after 90 and 180 min, but lesser aggregation of MSC both in the presence and absence of calcium. The aggregation of MSC into cellular clumps could pose an embolic hazard if delivered into the arterial vasculature in cardiac applications, can clog-up injection or infusion catheters utilized for cell delivery during surgery, and can also possibly reduce the overall efficacy of transplantation therapy.     

Apoptosis of mouse embryonic stem cells induced by single cell suspension

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are pluripotential, and are therefore used to construct gene knock-out mice. We found that the apoptosis of mouse ES cells was induced when the cells were dispersed as single cells, whereas this process was suppressed when they proliferated in aggregates. The apoptosis of ES cells was repressed when the cells were cultured on feeders prepared from STO cells, a cell line established from embryonic fibroblasts. Culture supernatants from STO cells did not block the apoptosis of ES cells, which suggests that a direct interaction between ES cells and STO cells is required for the suppression of apoptosis. The viability of ES cells examined by the trypan blue exclusion test or by the MTT ((3-4,5-dimethyithiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) reduction assay decreased dramatically when the cells were dispersed in phosphate-buffered saline PBS. Cellular activity was restored by the addition of culture medium for ES cells. Glucose in the medium was found to be a major factor responsible for the restoration. Amino acids also restored the decrease in reduction of MTT. Suspension of the ES cells in PBS(-) caused leakage of the nucleosome into cytoplasm. Results indicate that the single cell suspension of ES cells leads to leakage of substrates for oxidative phosphorylation from the mitochondria, and that these cells finally become committed to apoptosis.     

Incorporation of Sulfonylurea into N-Isopropylacrylamide as an Extracellular Matrix for an Artificial Pancreas

High-molecular-weight N-isopropylacrylamide copolymers with small amounts of sulfonylurea (SU, typically 2-4 mol% in the feed) were synthesized by free radical polymerization in benzene. SU-incorporated polymer solutions (5, 6, 8, and 10% w/v) in a culture medium (pH 7.4, 0.15 M ionic strength) with islet cells were mixed and poured into Millicells which supported gel formation. In order to increase the gelation temperature, the SU-incorporated copolymer gel, p(NiPAAm-co-SU), was blended with the p(NiPAAm-co-AAc) polymer at a ratio of 4 to 96. Interaction between the islet cells and the synthetic matrix of SU-incorporated copolymer gel resulted in effective cell viability and such cell functions as insulin secretion. To verify the specific interaction between the SU (K⁺ channel closer)-incorporated copolymer and islet cells, the cells were pretreated with diazoxide, an agonist of the ATP-sensitive K⁺ channel (K⁺ channel opener), before interaction between the polymer and islet cells. This treatment suppressed the action of SU on the islet cells. The results from this study provide evidence that the SU-incorporated copolymer stimulated insulin secretion by specific interaction between SU moieties in the polymer and the islet cells.