Relationship between oxygen partial pressure and inhibition of cell aggregation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells stored in cell preservation solutions

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the storage conditions under which cell aggregation occurs and the conditions that inhibit cell aggregation when human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) are stored in lactated Ringer’s solution (LR) supplemented with 3% trehalose and 5% dextran 40 (LR-3T-5D). METHODS: We first examined the effects of storage temperature and time on the aggregation and viability of hADSCs stored in LR and LR-3T-5D. The cells were stored at 5 °C or 25 °C for various times up to 24 h. We then evaluated the effects of storage volume (250-2,000 μL), cell density (2.5-20 × 10(5) cells/mL), and nitrogen gas replacement on aggregation, oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)), and viability of hADSCs stored for 24 h at 25 °C in LR-3T-5D. RESULTS: When stored in LR-3T-5D, viability did not change under either condition compared with pre-storage, but the cell aggregation rate increased significantly with storage at 25 °C for 24 h (p<0.001). In LR, the aggregation rate did not change under either condition, but cell viability decreased significantly after 24 h at both 5 °C and 25 °C (p < 0.05). The cell aggregation rates and pO(2) tended to decrease with increasing solution volume and cell density. Nitrogen gas replacement significantly decreased the cell aggregation rate and pO(2) (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in viability among cells stored under conditions of different storage volumes, densities, and nitrogen gas replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Aggregation of cells after storage at 25 °C in LR-3T-5D may be suppressed by increasing the storage volume and cell density as well as by incorporating nitrogen replacement, which lowers the pO(2) in the solution.