Isolation and culture of rat aortic valve interstitial cells

OBJECTIVE: Culturing aortic valve interstitial cells is a useful way to investigate the physiology and pathology of the aortic valve at the cellular level. The culture methods of the cells have been established in many species. However, the previous methods need some improvements. METHODS: We evaluated various techniques with regard to the isolation of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat aortic valve interstitial cells and established suitable conditions about the culture and passage of the primary cells. The specimens from the aortic valve were processed by tissue explant methods before seeding them onto the dishes. RESULTS: The cells obtained emerged from the explants after 2 to 3 days and stained positive for a-SMA and vimentin protein. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy images showed that the cells had abundant mitochondria, prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum, and plentiful myofilaments. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we provided reliable and efficient methods for the isolation and culture of rat aortic valve interstitial cells that could serve for in vitro studies on aortic valve physiology and pathophysiology.