0.6% Acetic Acid Overview
Acetic Acid (AA) will be used to reconstitute (turn your lyophilized IGF-1 into a liquid form) your IGF-1. The standard is to use 0.6% AA. This concentration is typically not available for you to purchase. You can make your own 0.6% AA and I will show you how below (many have used this method successfully).
Making 0.6% Acetic Acid
You will have to purchase a few items upfront. Here is a grocery list of items you will need.
Items Needed:
Distilled white vinegar (grocery store)
Distilled water (grocery store)
0.2-0.22um sterile Whatman syringe filter
10mL syringe with a luer lock tip
20-22 gauge needles (just the needles)
Sterile glass vial (10-20mL)
Alcohol prep pads ? sterile kind (70% isopropyl alcohol)
Quick Guide To Make Acetic Acid:
Swab the top of your sterile vial with alcohol prep pad (70% isopropyl alcohol)
Mix 7.5mL distilled water with 1.0mL vinegar
Add Whatman syringe filter
Add sterile ~20ga. needle to end of Whatman filter
Inject the 8.5mL of solution into the sterile vial
You now have sterile 0.6% AA
Detailed Directions:
Wash you hands thoroughly
Optional: wear alcohol treated exam gloves (rub your gloved hands together with 70% isopropyl alcohol on them until dry)
Using a sterile alcohol prep pad, swab the top of your sterile glass vial (into which the AA solution will be held in)
Using the 10mL syringe with a ~20ga. needle on the end, draw up 7.5mL distilled water
Using the same syringe, now draw up 1mL vinegar
Remove needle from the syringe and discard
Attach 0.2-0.22um Whatman sterile syringe filter (do not touch the free end that will have a needle on it)
Put a new, sterile needle (~20 gauge) onto the free end of the Whatman filter (do not touch needle)
Do not use the same needle on the Whatman that was used to originally draw up the unsterile vinegar and distilled water.
Put a ~20 gauge sterile needle into the top of your sterile glass vial to act as a vent
Inject the acetic acid solution into the vial
You are now done and should have sterile 0.6% acetic acid
Notes:
These items MUST be sterile: 20-22ga. Needles, whatman filter, glass vial
Whatman filter: These small, sterile filters are used to filter the AA solution so it is sterile. It does not matter that the liquid in your syringe (distilled water & vinegar) is not sterile, nor does it matter that the syringe itself is not sterile. Once the liquid goes through the filter it is STERILE. Thus, everything after the filter must be sterile!
You will most likely use 1mL (milliliter) of 0.6% AA to reconstitute your IGF-1. Thus, you should make at least 1.5mL. In reality, its just as easy to make 8.5mL as I have stated in the above directions. You will have plenty for use later then.
