This work was supported by National Institutes of Health award R01 HL105734 to V.V.P. M.D.L. is supported, in part, by National Institutes of Health Research Career Award K08 HL094748. V.V.P. is an Innovative Researcher of the American Heart Association supported by grant 11IRG900384.

1. Preparing the Necessary Solutions and Equipment
<ol>
	<li>First, sterilize the surgical instruments (straight shape forceps, curved shape forceps, straight shape scissors, and curved shape scissors) by autoclaving them for 15 min. at 121 &#176;C. Prepare 2 sets of instruments, where one set is used for dissecting out the hearts and the other set will be used for mincing up the tissue.</li>
	<li>Dissolve 1 packet of MCDB153 culture media in 900 ml of sterilized, filtered water and stir slowly until the powder has dis...

<ol>
	<li>Hornyak, T. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mitf+dosage+as+a+primary+determinant+of+melanocyte+survival+after+ultraviolet+irradiation.">Mitf dosage as a primary determinant of melanocyte survival after ultraviolet irradiation.</a> Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 22, 307-318 (2009).</li><li>Yonetani, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vitro+expansion+of+immature+melanoblasts+and+their+ability+to+repopulate+melanocyte+stem+cells+in+the+hair+follicle.">In vitro expansion of immature melanoblasts and their ability to repopulate melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle.</a> J. Invest. Dermatol. 128, 408-420 (2008).</li><li>Levin, M. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Melanocyte-like+cells+in+the+heart+and+pulmonary+veins+contribute+to+atrial+arrhythmia+triggers.">Melanocyte-like cells in the heart and pulmonary veins contribute to atrial arrhythmia triggers.</a> J. Clin. Invest. 119, 3420-3436 (2009).</li><li>Patel, V. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Novel+insights+in+the+cellular+basis+of+atrial+fibrillation.">Novel insights in the cellular basis of atrial fibrillation.</a> Expert Rev. Cardiovasc. Ther. 8, 907-915 (2010).</li><li>Sviderskaya, E. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+neurons+and+melanocytes+induced+from+immortal+lines+of+postnatal+neural+crest-like+stem+cells.">Functional neurons and melanocytes induced from immortal lines of postnatal neural crest-like stem cells.</a> FASEB J. 23, 3179-3192 (2009).</li><li>Sviderskaya, E. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=P16Ink4a+in+melanocyte+senescence+and+differentiation.">P16Ink4a in melanocyte senescence and differentiation.</a> J. Natl. Cancer. Inst. 94, 446-454 (2002).</li><li>Cook, A. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+melanoblasts+in+culture:+Expression+of+BRN2+and+synergistic+regulation+by+fibroblast+growth+factor-2,+stem+cell+factor,+and+endothelin-3.">Human melanoblasts in culture: Expression of BRN2 and synergistic regulation by fibroblast growth factor-2, stem cell factor, and endothelin-3.</a> J. Invest. Dermatol. 121, 1150-1159 (2002).</li><li>Fang, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Defining+the+conditions+for+the+generation+of+melanocytes+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells.">Defining the conditions for the generation of melanocytes from human embryonic stem cells.</a> Stem Cells. 24, 1668-1677 (2006).</li><li>Brito, F. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Timeline+and+distribution+of+melanocyte+precursors+in+the+mouse+heart.">Timeline and distribution of melanocyte precursors in the mouse heart.</a> Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 21, 464-470 (2008).</li><li>Yajima, I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+isolation+of+heart+melanocytes+is+specified+and+the+level+of+pigmentation+in+the+heart+may+correlate+with+coat+color.">The isolation of heart melanocytes is specified and the level of pigmentation in the heart may correlate with coat color.</a> Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 21, 471-476 (2008).</li></ol>

Cardiac melanocytes are present in anatomic locations within the heart that commonly give rise to atrial arrhythmia triggers. These regions include the pulmonary veins, the atrioventricular annulus, the posterior left atrium and the foramen ovale (Figure 4). To understand the role these cells play in arrhythmogenesis, we develop techniques to isolate them and study their physiology. However, we recognized that improving this technique to yield healthier and larger quantities of cardiac melanocytes would ...

We recently identified a novel cell population in the heart of mice and humans that express melanin-synthesis enzymes and morphologically resemble cutaneous melanocytes. We called these cells &#39;cardiac melanocytes&#39; and found they are present in anatomic locations from which atrial arrhythmia triggers often originate in humans. We also found cardiac melanocytes contribute to atrial arrhythmias in mice with germline deletion of Dct. Cardiac melanocytes are sparsely distributed throughout the mouse atrium where they comprise less than 0.1% of all atrial cells. To investigate the electrical and biological properties of cardiac melanocytes we developed a procedure to isolate them from the mouse heart using Cre-inducible melanocyte specific markers. Our initial procedure was developed from those used to isolate neonatal murine cardiomyocytes and yielded very small numbers of cells suitable for patch clamp recordings or PCR analysis. However, to improve the health and viability of cardiac melanocytes, for more in-depth electrophysiological analysis or biochemical studies, we developed a refined procedure from those designed to isolate cutaneous melanocytes. The procedure described and demonstrated in this review has the advantage of producing healthier cardiac melanocytes that can be plated as a pure population or with cardiomyocytes.

<table border="1">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>Name of the reagent</td>
 <td>Company</td>
 <td>Catalogue number</td>
 <td>Comment</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>MCDB 153</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>M7403</td>
 <td>Dissolve in: Water</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>DPBS, no calcium no magnesium</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>14190136 </td>
 <td>Stock Conc.: 1X 
 Working Conc.: 1X</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Sodium Bicarbonate, or Sodium Bicarbonate Solution, 7.5% </td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich </td>
 <td>S5761 or S8761 </td>
 <td>Water 
 Stock Conc.: 1X 
 Working Conc.: 1X</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Penicillin-streptomycin </td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>15140163 </td>
 <td>Stock Conc.: 100X 
 Working Conc.: 1X</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
 <td>Life Technology</td>
 <td>Certified</td>
 <td>Working Conc.: 4%</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>TPA</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>P1585</td>
 <td>DMSO 
 Stock Conc.: 3.2 &mu;M 
 Working Conc.: 32 nM</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Transferrin</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>T8158</td>
 <td>DPBS 
 Stock Conc.: 0.1 mg/ml 
 Working Conc.: 1 &mu;g/ml </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dibutyryl cyclic AMP</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>D0627</td>
 <td>DPBS 
 Stock Conc.: 0.5 mM 
 Working Conc.: 5 &mu;M</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Insulin</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>I6634</td>
 <td>10 mM 
 acetic acid 
 Stock Conc.: 1 mg/ml 
 Working Conc.: 5 &mu;g/ml</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Basic FGF</td>
 <td>BD Biosciences</td>
 <td>354060</td>
 <td>Water 
 Stock Conc.: 4 ng/&mu;l 
 Working Conc.: 4 ng/ml</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

isolating primary melanocyte-like cells from the mouse heart

We identified a novel population of melanocyte-like cells (also known as cardiac melanocytes) in the hearts of mice and humans that contribute to atrial arrhythmia triggers in mice. To investigate the electrical and biological properties of cardiac melanocytes we developed a procedure to isolate them from mouse hearts that we derived from those designed to isolate neonatal murine cardiomyocytes. In order to obtain healthier cardiac melanocytes suitable for more extensive patch clamp or biochemical studies, we developed a refined procedure for isolating and plating cardiac melanocytes based on those originally designed to isolate cutaneous melanocytes. The refined procedure is demonstrated in this review and produces larger numbers of healthy melanocyte-like cells that can be plated as a pure population or with cardiomyocytes.

The protocol described in this article is an improved technique compared to the one we previously published for isolating cardiac melanocytes from the murine heart. This procedure employs the use of fluorescent markers driven by melanin synthesis enzyme-specific Cre-recombinase to label cardiac melanocyte-like cells. It is important to use a marker to label cardiac melanocytes when working with freshly isolated embryonic or neonatal cells, since the morphological differences that distinguish cardiac melanocytes from atri...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolating Primary Melanocyte-like Cells from the Mouse Heart at JoVE.com

Isolating Primary Melanocyte-like Cells from the Mouse Heart

In this protocol, we identified a novel population of melanocyte-like cells (also known as cardiac melanocytes) in the hearts of mice and humans that contribute to atrial arrhythmia triggers in mice.&#160;

We identified a novel population of melanocyte-like cells (also known as cardiac melanocytes) in the hearts of mice and humans that contribute to atrial ...

isolating-primary-melanocyte-like-cells-from-the-mouse-heart

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10.3K visualizações.  University of Pennsylvania.  Neste protocolo, w e identificou um novo população de células de melanócito-like (também conhecido como melanócitos cardíacos) nos corações de ratos e humanos que contribuem para a arritmia atrial dispara em camundongos. 