Characterization of Perfluorocarbon Perfusate for ex vivo Perfused Heart Experiments
Open AccessCardiovascular disease impacts millions of adults in the US and remains a leading cause of death across the world. Determining better ways to mimic the in vivo heart environment for ex vivo experiments allows researchers to form a better understanding of the heart. Lack of oxygenation is a frequent issue in modern isolated perfused heart experiments that can lead to reduced cardiac function. The addition of perfluorocarbon(PFCs) emulsions to crystalloid perfusate has been shown to increase oxygen carrying capacity. This thesis sets out to further define the characteristics of PFCs when they are utilized as a perfusate especially during high levels of cardiac work. These high levels of work are produced by using an optogenetic mouse model to activate the sympathetic neurons in the right atria of the heart to increase heart rate. This optogenetic approach provided unparalleled spatial and temporal specificity of cardiac neuron activation that cannot be achieved with electrodes. PFCs demonstrate stable physical characteristics under perfusion-like scenarios and are able to achieve high levels of sympathetic activation without inducing arrhythmias.
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