BRL

The Buffalo Rat Liver (BRL) cell line, a spontaneously immortalized lineage from Buffalo rat liver tissue, holds significant value due to its retention of pluripotency and karyotypic normality akin to embryonic stem (ES) cells. BRL cells produce a conditioned medium (BRL-CM) that has a unique application in stem cell biology; it inhibits the differentiation of established embryonal carcinoma (EC) and ES cell lines. This property allows for the maintenance of these stem cells in an undifferentiated state without the need for feeder cells, although this support is only viable for a finite period, highlighting a limitation in the utility of BRL-CM in long-term stem cell culture.

Furthermore, the BRL cell line provides an interesting model for studying the impact of genetic modifications on cell behavior, illustrated by the differential response of normal versus Ha-ras-1 transformed BRL cells to cytoskeletal inhibitors. Transformation with the Ha-ras-1 oncogene not only modifies cellular responses but also enhances the stability of microfilaments and microtubules, consequently altering the cell's structural integrity. These findings emphasize the potential role of the cytoskeleton in maintaining cell shape and pluripotency, which is pivotal in both normal physiology and disease states involving cellular transformation and differentiation.

37°C, 5% CO₂, humidified atmosphere.

1. Confirm that the vial remains deeply frozen upon delivery, as cells are shipped on dry ice to maintain optimal temperatures during transit.

2. Upon receipt, either store the cryovial immediately at temperatures below -150°C to ensure the preservation of cellular integrity, or proceed to step 3 if immediate culturing is required.

3. For immediate culturing, swiftly thaw the vial by immersing it in a 37°C water bath with clean water and an antimicrobial agent, agitating gently for 40-60 seconds until a small ice clump remains.

4. Perform all subsequent steps under sterile conditions in a flow hood, disinfecting the cryovial with 70% ethanol before opening.

5. Carefully open the disinfected vial and transfer the cell suspension into a 15 ml centrifuge tube containing 8 ml of room-temperature culture medium, mixing gently.

6. Centrifuge the mixture at 300 x g for 3 minutes to separate the cells and carefully discard the supernatant containing residual freezing medium.

7. Gently resuspend the cell pellet in 10 ml of fresh culture medium. For adherent cells, divide the suspension between two T25 culture flasks; for suspension cultures, transfer all the medium into one T25 flask to promote effective cell interaction and growth.

8. Adhere to established subculture protocols for continued growth and maintenance of the cell line, ensuring reliable experimental outcomes.

Mycoplasma contamination is excluded using both PCR-based assays and luminescence-based mycoplasma detection methods.

To ensure there is no bacterial, fungal, or yeast contamination, cell cultures are subjected to daily visual inspections.

For long-term preservation, place vials in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen at about −150 to −196 °C. Storage at −80 °C is acceptable only as a short interim step before transfer to liquid nitrogen.

Cryopreserved cell lines are shipped on dry ice in validated, insulated packaging with sufficient refrigerant to maintain approximately −78 °C throughout transit. On receipt, inspect the container immediately and transfer vials without delay to appropriate storage.

At Cytion, we stand behind the quality and viability of our products. We guarantee that our cells will be viable at the start of culture for 60 days after shipment from our facilities. We assure that all materials conform to the specifications described in the Certificate of Analysis and/or Product Sheet.

For full details, please refer to our Warranty Statement.