Influence of osmolality and composition of some storage media on human periodontal ligament cells.

The effect of media with different osmolalities and compositions on cell viability and integrity of the cell membrane has been studied. Physiologic media, such as milk, saline and physiologic sucrose solution, preserved cell viability and membrane morphology equally well. The cell membrane of cells stored in saliva was more extensively damaged than the cell membrane of cells stored in a sucrose solution with an hypotonic osmolality similar to saliva. Thus a hypotonic osmolality seemed to potentiate the damaging effect of an unfavourable composition or a bacterial contamination of the storage media.