Explanted cardiac cells: a model to study drug actions?

Results from drug action studies are reviewed together with techniques to produce preparations of explanted cardiac cells and parameters that can be measured in these preparations. Results from drug action studies on explanted cells are poorly integrated into our present knowledge of drug effects derived from investigations of more conventional models. Recent reports indicate that most explanted cardiac cells change their electrophysiological properties after explantation and this may be responsible for the difficulties in interpreting results obtained from this preparation. To exploit the potential of explanted cardiac cells as a model to study drug actions it is recommended that (a) the preparation be characterized with electrophysiological methods and (b) the preparation of explanted cardiac cells be selected so that it facilitates the solution of a well-defined pharmacological problem.