title: Cardiomyocyte preparation, culture, and gene transfer.
abstract: Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) cultured in vitro have been used as a model system for easily recreating and studying several cardiac molecular conditions, such as hypertrophy, oxygen deprivation, and gene expression. However, low efficiency of gene transfer has often represented one of the major limitations of this technique. In this chapter we describe in detail how to isolate NRVMs from neonatal rat heart and the optimal conditions for their long-term culture. Different cardiomyocyte transfection methodologies, based on viral or viral/chemical delivery carriers, are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buvoli
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism; D006984:Hypertrophy; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011107:Polylysine / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D011107:Polylysine