title: A novel ex vivo culture method for the embryonic mouse heart.
abstract: Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. Thus, protocols to isolate and culture individual organs of interest are essential to provide a method of both visualizing changes in development and allowing novel treatment strategies. To promote the long-term culture of the embryonic heart at late stages of gestation, we developed a protocol in which the excised heart is cultured in a semi-solid, dilute Matrigel. This substrate provides enough support to maintain the three-dimensional structure but is flexible enough to allow continued contraction. In brief, hearts are excised from the embryo and placed in a mixture of cold Matrigel diluted 1:1 with growth medium. After the diluted Matrigel solidifies, growth medium is added to the culture dish. Hearts excised as late as embryonic day 16.5 were viable for four days post-dissection. Analysis of the coronary plexus shows that this method does not disrupt coronary vascular development. Thus, we present a novel method for long-term culture of embryonic hearts.
authors.affiliation: McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. ldyer1@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Cam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D004338:Drug Combinations; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D007797:Laminin; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011509:Proteoglycans
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans; C059485:matrigel; D003094:Collagen