title: Transfer of macromolecules into living adult cardiomyocytes by microinjection.
abstract: Among techniques commonly used to deliver bioactive molecules into living cells, microinjection is a very efficient method. Microinjection has been used extensively for gene transfer into different cell types. We applied the microinjection technique to the adult rat ventricular cardiac muscle cells (AVC) in primary culture and optimized microinjection parameters and the appropriate cell culture conditions. We also optimized the use of particular agents (i.e. 2,3-butanedione monoxime, verapamil) for the prevention of the cell damage caused by the micropuncture. We obtained the expression of a CMV-beta-galactosidase reporter gene in up to 20% of the injected cells with efficient maintenance of long term cell viability. Under our experimental conditions direct microinjection is a very advantageous technique to transfer macromolecules into living adult cardiac muscle cells and a powerful system to study and manipulate the biochemistry and molecular biology of the cardiac myocyte.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Claycomb
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008845:Microinjections / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances