A Simple Technique for Isolating Healthy Heart Cells from Mouse Models

抄録

Single heart cells of mouse models provide powerful tools for heart research. However, their isolation is not easy, and it imposes a significant bottleneck to their use in cellular studies of the heart. Aiming to overcome this problem, this report introduces a novel technique that reproducibly isolates healthy heart cells from mouse models. Using simple devices that ensure easy handling and rapid aortic cannulation of a small mouse heart, cell isolation was done under physiological condition without using the “KB” medium or 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM). The isolated cells consistently had healthy appearance and a high viability of 75 ± 5% (mean ± SD) in Tyrode solution containing 1.8 mm Ca²⁺. After 8 h of storage at 37°C, they still had a viability of 45 ± 12%. The cells showed normal contraction properties when field-stimulated, and generated normal action potentials and membrane currents under the whole-cell clamp condition. The β-adrenergic signal transduction of the cells was also normal, as it was examined with the isoproterenol enhancement of the L-type Ca²⁺ current.