Getting to the heart of the matter: Focus on 'Microarray analysis of global changes in gene expression during cardiac myocyte differentiation'

摘要

Cultured cardiac myocytes provide a model system for studies of myocyte biology, in particular, studies on hypertrophy and apoptosis. Both neonatal and adult cardiac myocytes have been employed successfully for these studies; however, both cultures present certain experimental difficulties. For example, neonatal cells can be isolated in large numbers and can be cultured for several days or weeks. However, these cells lack many characteristics of adult cardiac myocytes. Moreover, these cells are notoriously difficult to transfect by chemical means and can only be transduced with adenovirus or adenovirus-associated virus. Adult cardiac myocytes have also been employed, but these suffer from many of the same problems seen with neonatal cells. The isolation of adult myocardial cells is difficult, and the yields are low. In addition, the cells can only be cultured for a few days, necessitating continual reisolation.