Organ Culture of Rat Myocardial Slices: An Alternative in Vitro Tool in Organ-Specific Toxicology

SummaryPrecision-cut adult rat myocardial slices of highly consistent dimensions were produced and maintained for at least 24 h in an organ culture system. These relatively thin (350–400 pm) slices were generated from tissue cores (7 mm diameter) obtained from coring the sagittally slabbed myocardium. The tissue cores were then used to produce slices with a mechanical tissue slicer under specific temperature (25°C) and buffer (zero Ca2+, high K+) conditions. Myocardial slices are viable for at least 24 h in culture, as assessed by a biochemical battery including K+ and Ca2+ content, labeled leucine incorporation, ATP content, and the loss of the cytoplasmic enzyme LDH. In addition to these parameters, histological evaluation was also employed. These data indicate that the precision-cut myocardial slice system is a possible alternative in vitro tool and merits further study in the field of cardiotoxicity.