Placental extracellular vesicles retain biological activity after short-term storage (14 days) at 4 °C or room temperature

Introduction To investigate the role of placental extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially in pathological pregnancy, the use of freshly isolated EVs is often limited due to the sporadic and unpredictable availability of placental samples. Therefore, it is important to understand and use optimised storage conditions for placental EVs. In this study, we investigated different conditions for the short-term storage of placental micro- and nano-EVs and examined their biological activity. Methods Placental EVs were collected from first trimester placentae. EVs were suspended in PBS and aliquoted, and then stored for up to 14 days at room temperature, 4 °C or −20 °C. Total protein and DNA levels were measured at various time points. The ability of stored placental EVs to alter endothelial cell activation was quantified by monocyte adhesion assays. Results There was no difference in the concentration of placental micro- or nano-EVs between each time point, when stored at either room temperature or 4 °C. However, there was a significant loss of placental EVs after storage at −20 °C. There was no difference in protein or DNA levels of placental EVs when stored at either room temperature or 4 °C. Biological activity of placental EVs was retained for up to 14 days at either room temperature or 4 °C measured by monocyte adhesion assays. Discussion We have shown that placental micro- and nano-EVs are stable and retain biological activities following storage in PBS or media for 14 days at either room temperature or 4 °C.