Embedding muscle fibers in hydrogel improves viability and preserves contractile function during prolonged ex vivo culture.

ABSTRACT: Ex vivo culture of isolated muscle fibers can serve as an important model for in vitro research on mature skeletal muscle fibers. Nevertheless, this model has limitations for long-term studies due to structural loss and dedifferentiation following prolonged culture periods. This study aimed to investigate how ex vivo culture affects muscle fiber contraction and to improve the culture system to preserve muscle fiber morphology and sarcomere function. Additionally, we sought to determine which culture-induced changes can negatively affect muscle fiber contraction. We cultured isolated flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibers in several conditions for up to 7 days and investigated viability, morphology, and the unloaded sarcomere shortening in intact fibers, along with force generation in

SUBMITTER: Vonk LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12581944 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature