| abstract |
The present invention relates to a method of preparing primary heart muscle cells,ncharacterized by washing a fine fragmented heart tissue with a phosphate-bufferednphysiological saline to thereby eliminate non-heart muscle cells and then hemolyzing thenheart tissue digested with a protease to thereby eliminate erythrocytes. According to thisnmethod, highly pure primary heart muscle cells can be conveniently obtained in a largenamount from the heart of an animal embryo or newborn. By using the heart muscle thusnprepared, apoptosis of heart muscle cells can be efficiently and highly sensitively detected.nThus, it is possible to efficiently screen candidate compounds for heart muscle cellnapoptosis inhibitors, gp 130-mediated receptor agonists, heart muscle cell-protective signalnenhancers, preventives and remedies for heart diseases. A method of detecting apoptosisncomprises inducing apoptosis of heart muscle cells by incubating the cells in a serum-freenmedium, adding serum to the liquid culture medium thereof, then incubating the cells andncounting viable heart muscle cells. |