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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:495-499
© 1998 Mosby, Inc.

Cardiopulmonary Support and Physiology

Isolated left ventricular myocyte contractility in patients undergoing cardiac operations

Supported by a National American Heart Association Grant and National Institute of Health grant HL-56603. F.G.S. is an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association.

Received for publication Dec 9, 1997. Initial revisions requested Jan 30, 1998; final revisions received May 22, 1998. Accepted for publication May 22, 1998. Address for reprints: Francis G. Spinale, MD, PhD, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Room 418 CSB, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425.

Background: Because of methods required for obtaining isolated left ventricular myocytes, evaluation of the contractile function of isolated left ventricular myocytes in normal human patients has been limited. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to develop a means to isolate human left ventricular myocytes from small myocardial biopsy specimens collected from patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass operations and to characterize indices of myocyte contractile performance.
Methods: Myocardial biopsy specimens were obtained from the anterior left ventricular free wall of 22 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass operations. Myocytes were isolated from these myocardial samples by means of a stepwise enzymatic digestion method and micro-trituration techniques. Isolated left ventricular myocyte contractile function was assessed by computer-assisted high-speed videomicroscopy under basal conditions and in response to ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation with isoproterenol.
Results: A total of 804 viable left ventricular myocytes were successfully examined from all of the myocardial biopsy specimens with an average of 37 ± 4 myocytes per patient. All myocytes contracted homogeneously at a field stimulation of 1 Hz with an average percent shortening of 3.7% ± 0.1% and shortening velocity of 51.3 ± 1.3 µm/s. After ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation with isoproterenol, percent shortening and shortening velocity increased 149% and 118% above baseline, respectively (P < .05).
Conclusion: The unique results of the present study demonstrated that a high yield of myocytes could be obtained from human left ventricular biopsy specimens taken during cardiac operations. These myocytes exhibited stable contractile performance and maintained the capacity to respond to an inotropic stimulus. The methods described herein provide a basis by which future studies could investigate intrinsic and extrinsic influences on left ventricular myocyte contractility in human beings.

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