Isolation, Culture, and Gene Transfer of Adult Canine Cardiac Myocytes

The ability to isolate individual canine cardiac myocytes that maintain normal rod-shaped morphology and contractility with stimulation is integral to the study of cardiac myocyte function and response to intervention in vitro. The literature is replete with the use of isolated murine and rat myocytes for the investigation of cardiac physiology. Methods include morselization or perfusion of the myocardium with various enzymatic solutions to disperse cells. Similar methods have been translated to larger species with variable yield and viability.