( late-phase allergi...)RNArticles: Keeping RNA Intact Prior to RNA Isolation - RNAlater

Postmortem Tissue
De Paepe ME, Mao Q, Huang C, Zhu D, Jackson CL, Hanson K (2002) Postmortem RNA and protein stability in perinatal human lungs. Diagn Mol Pathol 11(3): 170-6.

Previously, use of postmortem fetal and neonatal human lung tissue for RNA analysis has generally been thought to be impossible due to RNA degradation in postmortem tissues. Published results to the contrary with brain tissue led De Paepe and colleagues to examine the quantity and quality of RNA obtained from postmortem fetal and neonatal human lung tissue stored in RNAlater upon collection or snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen at autopsy. They found no difference in the quality of the RNA obtained via the two storage methods as determined by A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ ratio, gel electrophoresis, and RT-PCR analysis of gene expression (-actin and SP-B). While the RNA quality was comparable, the RNA yield was found to be significantly higher in tissues that were stored in RNAlater vs. those that were frozen. Similar results (same quality, better yield) were obtained for protein isolated from tissues stored in RNAlater compared to those frozen in liquid nitrogen. In addition to obtaining high quality/quantity RNA, the authors pointed out the practical advantages of tissue storage in RNAlater, namely that
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