Effect of freezing on lens epithelial cell growth.

The effect of freezing on the growth of rat lens epithelial cells was studied in vitro. We found that 80% of the lens epithelial cells died after freezing at -45 degrees C for two hours and that the surviving cells could grow with the addition of growth factors or when placed on a sheet of type 4 collagen, but not when placed on a plain plastic culture dish. These results suggest that the surviving cells are at the Go phase of the cell cycle and that type 4 collagen or growth factors can initiate cell division.