title: In vitro developed spontaneously contracting cardiomyocytes from rainbow trout as a model system for human heart research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cellular models are an interesting tool to study human heart diseases. To date, research groups mainly focus on mouse models, but important murine physiology is different from human characteristics. Recently, scientists found that the electrophysiology of fish cardiomyocytes largely resembles that of humans. So far, cardiomyocyte models were generated using differentiation medium, were stimulated electrically or, when contracting spontaneously, only did so over a short time period. We established an in vitro spontaneously, long-term beating heart model generated from rainbow trout, with the potential to be used as a new human heart model system because of its electrophysiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spontaneously contracting 3D cell layers from rainbow trout were generated in vitro and analyzed using PCR and immunochemistry. Further, electrophysiology was measured via intra - and extracellular recordings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contracting cardiomyogenic aggregates were generated without differentiation medium and were beating autonomously for more than one month. Electrophysiological measurements exhibit that the action potential properties of fish cardiomyocytes in part resemble the characteristics of human cardiomyocytes. The sensitivity of the beating cell aggregates to drugs could also be confirmed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spontaneously contracting cardiomyogenic cell aggregates from rainbow trout generated in vitro are suitable for human heart research and pharmacology.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology, Lübeck, Germany. bianka.grunow@emb.fraunhofer.de
authors.forename: Bianka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grunow
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terlau
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langner
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: Charli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kruse
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002839:Chromans / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D002839:Chromans; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; C075012:rilmakalim; D007545:Isoproterenol