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

Forty embryonic hearts were taken out by anatomical needle from denuded emb ryos of the ovoviviparity guppy fish that were dechorioned by mechanic meth od or by trypsin digestion, and were in vitro cultured. In the cultured hea rts, 80% have maintained beating in vitro for 4 weeks, and the longest reco rd for beating was 142 d. Owing to fish embryo transparency, beating freque ncy and blood color changes are easily viewed from the embryonic hearts und er a dissecting microscope. The current study established the in vitro cult ure method of embryonic hearts in guppy fish, which can be used as a model for the study of heart and cardiovascular system in vertebrates.