Preparation and some properties of isolated beating myocytes from adult rabbit heart

We have developed a convenient and simple technique for the preparation of isolated beating myocytes from adult rabbit heart. The suspension obtained, about 80% of heart weight, consists of well preserved beating myocardial cells with a viability of 80 to 90%. Isolated rabbit heart myocytes take up oxygen at a rate of 29±2 μmol/h/100 mg dry wt. Respiration is remarkably stimulated by glucose and various other substrates and appears to be coupled to phosphorylation as indicated by the use of inhibitors and uncouplers. In addition, isolated rabbit heart myocytes show a marked Pasteur effect, glycolysis being ten-fold stimulated under anaerobic conditions. The relations between metabolic activity and cell contraction are reported and briefly discussed.