Numerical simulation of water transport and intracellular ice formation for freezing of endothelial cells.

Endothelial cell detachment may cause failure of blood vessel and corneal cryopreservation, and thus successful cryopreservation of endothelial cells is regarded to be the first step to optimize cryopreservation of endothelial cells containing tissues. In this study, the pre-determined biophysical parameters were incorporated into the model for intracellular ice formation (IIF) and the growth of intracellular ice crystals (ICG) to calculate cell water loss, supercooling of intracellular solution, intracellular ice formation and the growth of intracellular ice crystals. The optimal protocols were determined according to the combination effect of both solution injury and IIF injury.