In vitro culture of embryonic hearts from guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata)

Forty embryonic hearts were taken out by anatomical needle from denuded embryos of the ovoviviparity guppy fish that were dechorioned by mechanic method or by trypsin digestion, and werein vitro cultured. In the cultured hearts, 80% have maintained beatingin vitro for 4 weeks, and the longest record for beating was 142 d. Owing to fish embryo transparency, beating frequency and blood color changes are easily viewed from the embryonic hearts under a dissecting microscope. The current study established thein vitro culture method of embryonic hearts in guppy fish, which can be used as a model for the study of heart and cardiovascularf system in vertebrates.