Defined Composition of Culture Media Promotes Rodent Neonatal Cardiomyocyte Maturation and Enables Functional Neuro-Cardiac Co-Culture.

ABSTRACT: Neonatal rodent cardiomyocytes (CMs) are a mainstay of in vitro cardiac research, yet their immature phenotype limits the study of key physiological processes such as excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) and sympathetic modulation. Here, we present a defined low-glucose, serum-free (LGSF) culture protocol that drives the structural and functional maturation of neonatal CMs and supports their integration into functional neuro-cardiac co-cultures. After 15 days in LGSF conditions, CMs exhibit elongated morphology, organized sarcomeres, polarized connexin-43, mitochondrial redistribution, and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) development, all closely resembling features of adult cells. These structural hallmarks were paralleled by enhanced Ca²⁺ handling, with increased SR con

SUBMITTER: Borile G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12468161 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature