Figure 1

Experimental design. Fresh surgical specimens of tonsil and colon tissue were cut in equal pieces of approximately 5 × 5 × 5 mm. As references, some samples were frozen directly after surgery (time point 0 h). The other portions were stored at room temperature (RT), on ice, or immersed in normal saline (only tonsil tissue) or RNAlater. After 0.5, 1, 3, 6 and 16 h, tissue fractions were removed, snap frozen and stored at −80°C until further processing. To extract the RNA, the samples were cut in a cryostat and sections were transferred to RNA extraction buffer (Trizol or Qiagen extraction buffer). After RNA purification, the amount and quality of RNA was analysed using microchip gel electrophoresis (Bioanalyzer). Distinct 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA peaks indicate intact RNA.