Suspension culture of myocardial cells from newborn rats.
Myocardial cells from newborn rats were held in a spinner type culture for 2 days and then explanted into culture flasks. Three main cell types were observed: single multipolar cells of embryonic type, cell aggregates containing 10 to 50 connected cells, and bipolar cells retaining some adult characteristics. Except for the latter, up to 95% of intact cells settled and were beating 6 hours after explantation. The percentage of fibroblast-like cells was drastically reduced when compared with conventional cultures. Cell debris could be removed 2 hours after explantation by changing the culture medium, or more effectively by a density step centrifugation using Lymphoprep or Lymphoprep-Ficoll mixtures.
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D008938:Mitosis; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats