Subzero preservation of mechanically prepared porcine islets of Langerhans: Response to a glucose challenge in vitro

Islets of Langerhans, prepared by a new mechanical process and avoiding enzymatic digestion were frozen to ?196 °C. Two rates of freezing were compared, instantaneous directly into liquid nitrogen and slow freezing at 1 °C min^?1. Post-thaw survival was greater after slow freezing.Three concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were compared. The 10% $\text{v}\text{v}$ concentration was found to give greater success than 20 or 30%. Contaminating exocrine tissue was found not to survive the freezing process.