Oxidative metabolism in guinea pig ventricular myocytes protected from proteolytic enzyme activity

Surface structures on guinea pig ventricular myocytes were protected from proteolytic enzyme activity with 100 KIU.ml-2 aprotinin during mechanical disaggregation. Intact myocytes, approximately 7.5 X 10(6) cells.g-1 ventricular wet weight, were separated from debris and damaged cells using Cytodex I tissue culture supports. Cellular ultrastructure did not differ from that observed in intact tissue. Neither spontaneous contractions nor contracture were ever observed in these myocytes in calcium concentrations of 10 mmol.litre-1. Dinitrophenol (0.2 mmol. litre-1) uncoupled respiration in the myocytes but only after the sarcolemma had been disrupted with Triton X100. The adenosine diphosphate to oxygen ratio of mitochondria isolated from the myocytes was 2.4(0.2) and the respiratory control index 2.6(0.3). Calcium (1.8 mmol.litre-1) increased oxygen uptake in the presence of 10 mmol.litre-1 pyruvate or 11 mmol.litre-1 glucose but not 17 mmol. litre-1 succinate. Succinate dependent oxygen consumption was greater than pyruvate dependent oxygen consumption (1090.0(190.0) and 40.1(0.8) nl.min-1.mg-1 protein respectively). The Crabtree effect was present. Oxidative metabolism was normal in cells stored at 10 degrees C for seven days but deteriorated rapidly thereafter. The results indicate that myocytes disaggregated by this procedure retain many of the morphological and metabolic characteristics of intact cardiac muscle cells and are relatively homogeneous with respect to calcium tolerance and metabolic function.