Dispersion and isolation of beating cells from adult rat heart

Abstract

The cells of adult rat heart ventricles were dispersed using crude bacterial collagenase. An investigation into the effect of shaking speed, stroke length, concentration of enzyme, ionic composition, and pH of the dispersing medium permitted the development of optimal conditions for obtaining beating myocytes. Approximately one-quarter of the initial protein content of ventricular chunks could be routinely recovered as single cells after such dispersion. Centrifugation through solutions of Ficoll in phosphate buffer selectively concentrated the beating myocytes and removed contaminating cells and tissue debris. © 1974.