Peripheral Blood Medium

Peripheral Blood Medium has been developed for in vitro short-term growth of peripheral blood lymphocytes for chromosome analysis.

Peripheral Blood Medium supports mitotic indexes comparable or superior to the best available media. The quality of metaphases and improved chromosome morphology facilitates successful case completion. Because optimized lots of serum and PHA are utilized for production, fluctuation in product quality during manufacturing is minimized. The medium is offered as a complete, ready-to-use frozen solution requiring no supplementation. To ensure optimum results, an insert is provided with each package detailing product specifications and instructions for use.

Development of Sigma′s Peripheral Blood Medium involved extensive R&D work and parallel evaluations in a licensed cytogenetics laboratory. Initial efforts focused on the basal medium formulation with incorporation of components that improved the mitotic index. Subsequent efforts concentrated on the selection of serum and phytohemagglutin (PHA) lots by monitoring mitogenic response in a flow cytometer. Short-term (24 to 72 hours) cultures of human blood specimens were used for all assays. Medium samples were compared to several commercially available and custom-made media routinely used in cytogenetic laboratories. Analyses included chromosome morphology, spreading and band resolution level. Stability studies at various temperatures were used to evaluate medium performance and ensure the best storage temperature.

Proprietary formulation containing RPMI-1640 with L-glutamine, HEPES and sodium bicarbonate buffers, fetal bovine serum, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and gentamicin sulfate.