Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41188825›Full record

ArticleBMC biotechnology2025

Optimizing RNA quality in cryopreserved tissues without preservatives: impact of preservatives, thawing methods and tissue aliquot sizes.

Cong Zou, Mengxue Yu, Hongwei Peng, Xin Zhang, Zhao Deng, Zongning Zhou, Wenjing Li, Shanshan Zhang, Kaiyu Qian

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Cong Zou *Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Mengxue Yu *Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Hongwei PengDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Xin ZhangDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Zhao DengDepartment of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Zongning ZhouDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Wenjing LiDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Shanshan ZhangDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. zn003362@whu.edu.cn.
Kaiyu QianDepartment of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. qky1009@whu.edu.cn.

Funding

the Research Fund of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University CXPY2020031
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRNA degradation during freeze‒thaw cycles in cryopreserved tissues is a major challenge for biomedical research, particularly when tissues are stored without preservatives. While agents such as TRIzol and RNALater are effective for fresh tissues, their utility for archival frozen tissues remains unclear.

resultsWe evaluated various RNA preservation strategies for frozen rabbit kidney tissues without preservatives, considering key variables such as thawing temperatures (ice vs. room temperature (RT)), preservatives (RNALater, TRIzol, and RL lysis buffers), processing delay (time before disruption), tissue aliquot sizes (ranging from 70-100 mg, 100-150 mg, to 250-300 mg), and freeze‒thaw cycles. Compared with RT-treated frozen rabbit tissues, preservative-treated tissues presented significantly greater RNA integrity when thawed on ice (p < 0.01). The RNALater group performed best in maintaining high-quality RNA (RIN ≥ 8). Although a significant difference in the RIN was observed between the 120-minute and 7-day processing delays (9.38 ± 0.10 vs. 8.45 ± 0.44), all the samples ≤ 30 mg maintained a RIN ≥ 8. For tissues ≤ 100 mg, thawing overnight on ice or at -20 °C maintained a marginally higher RIN (RIN ≥ 7). However, larger tissue aliquots (250-300 mg) presented significantly lower RINs with ice thawing than with thawing at -20 °C (5.25 ± 0.24 vs. 7.13 ± 0.69). After 3-5 freeze‒thaw cycles, tissues thawed at -20 °C presented notably greater variability in the RIN, particularly in larger tissue aliquots. In validation experiments involving cryopreserved human and murine kidney tissues, the RNALater-treated murine kidney tissues ≤ 30 mg consistently maintained high-quality RNA integrity (RIN ≥ 8), whereas the frozen human kidney tissues resulted in marginally reduced RINs compared with those of the LN grinding control (7.76 ± 0.54).

conclusionsPreservatives, tissue aliquot sizes, and thawing methods significantly impact the RNA quality of frozen tissues originally stored without preservatives. Key recommendations include (1) adding RNALater during thawing, (2) thawing on ice for small aliquots (≤ 100 mg) or at -20 °C for larger samples, and (3) minimizing freeze‒thaw cycles, despite observed variations among species.

Indexed as

CryopreservationKidneyRNAAnimalsCryoprotective AgentsFreezingMiceRabbitsRNA StabilityCryoprotective AgentsRNACryopreserved tissueInterspecies variationPreservativeRNA integrity number (RIN)Thawing protocolTissue aliquot size

Identifiers

PMID41188825
PMCPMC12584263

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