Rasti Mehdi, Piri Ardekani Hamidreza, Mirhendi Hossein, Mofidi Mohadeseh, Dehghani Leila, Azimian Zavareh Vajihe
Department of Plastic Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Medical Education Research Center, Isfahan, Iran.
Core Research Facilities, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025 Apr;24(4):e70160. doi: 10.1111/jocd.70160.
Lipofilling is a natural, low-risk, and long-lasting method for filling, reconstructing, and improving soft tissues such as the face, with minimal discomfort for patients. Many plastic surgeons prefer autologous fat grafting in aesthetic surgery due to its availability, cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, and absence of allergic and carcinogenic concerns. Despite the advantages of autologous fat injection, one of the main drawbacks is the variable persistence of injected fat tissue. Given the significant implications of this issue in advanced countries, this study aims to investigate the survival of fat cells after freezing at different time intervals (1, 3, and 6 months).
Thirty female participants were enlisted for this research, and the viability of fat cell specimens was assessed at intervals of 0, 1, 3, and 6 months post-freezing at -18°C. The evaluation of viable adipocytes was conducted using the XTT assay, a live/dead staining method using fluorescence microscopy after staining with fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and propidium iodide (PI), along with histological analysis of fat tissue after freezing at the indicated time intervals.
The results showed that the viability of frozen fat samples decreases by 34%, 60%, and 80% after 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively, compared to non-frozen samples on Day 0.
The findings of this study underscore a rapid decline in adipocyte viability after storage at -18°C at different time intervals (1, 3, and 6 months), at which points only around 60%, 40%, and 20% of fat cells remained viable, respectively. These results suggest that current fat preservation techniques utilizing either a -18°C freezer are not sufficient for maintaining the long-term viability of adipocytes, and alternative cryopreservation methods are needed to preserve fat cells.
脂肪填充是一种自然、低风险且持久的填充、重建和改善面部等软组织的方法，患者不适感极小。由于自体脂肪移植具有可获取性、成本效益、生物相容性以及不存在过敏和致癌问题，许多整形外科医生在美容手术中更倾向于使用它。尽管自体脂肪注射有诸多优点，但其主要缺点之一是注射的脂肪组织留存率不一。鉴于这个问题在发达国家具有重大影响，本研究旨在调查脂肪细胞在不同时间间隔（1个月、3个月和6个月）冷冻后的存活率。
招募了30名女性参与者进行本研究，在脂肪细胞标本于-18°C冷冻后的0个月、1个月、3个月和6个月时间点评估其活力。使用XTT法评估存活的脂肪细胞，这是一种在用二乙酸荧光素（FDA）和碘化丙啶（PI）染色后通过荧光显微镜进行的活/死染色方法，同时对在指定时间间隔冷冻后的脂肪组织进行组织学分析。
结果显示，与第0天的未冷冻样本相比，冷冻后的脂肪样本在1个月、3个月和6个月后的活力分别下降了34%、60%和80%。
本研究结果强调了脂肪细胞在-18°C下不同时间间隔（1个月、3个月和6个月）储存后活力迅速下降，此时分别仅有约60%、40%和20%的脂肪细胞仍保持活力。这些结果表明，目前使用-18°C冰箱的脂肪保存技术不足以维持脂肪细胞的长期活力，需要替代的冷冻保存方法来保存脂肪细胞。
