Cell Specification
The cardiac fibroblasts (CF) are the principal cell type of the heart. They provide structural support for cardiac myocytes and are responsible for extracellular matrix synthesis in the heart during growth and pathophysiological conditions. CF are an important cellular component of myocardial responses to injury and the source of paracrine growth factors. Their proliferation and synthesis of matrix is essential for scar formation at sites of myocardial infarction [1], cardiac fibrosis, and is often complicated by cardiac hypertrophy [2]. CF also respond to changing environments in pathophysiological conditions by modulating integrin expression [3]. CF culture has been widely used as a model to study the cardiac matrix remodeled by physiological (exercise) and pathological (hypertension) stressors.

HCF from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human heart. HCF are cryopreserved at secondary culture and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10⁵ cells in 1 ml volume. HCF are characterized by immunofluorescent method with antibody to fibronectin. HCF are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. HCF are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings at the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium
It is recommended to use Fibroblast Medium (FM, Cat. No. 2301) for the culturing of HCF in vitro.

Product Use
HCF are for research use only. It is not approved for human or animal use, or for application in in vitro diagnostic procedures.

Storage
Directly and immediately transfer cells from dry ice to liquid nitrogen upon receiving and keep the cells in liquid nitrogen until cell culture needed for experiments.

Shipping
Dry ice.

Reference
[1] Sabri, A., Short, J., Guo, J., Steinberg, S. F. (2004) Protease-activated receptor-1-mediated DNA synthesis in cardiac fibroblast is via epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation: distinct PAR-1 signaling pathways in cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Circ. Res. 91:532-9.
[2] Akiyama-Uchida, Y. et al., (2004) Norepinephrine enhances fibrosis mediated by TGF-beta in cardiac fibroblasts. Hypertension 40:148-54.
[3] Burgess ML, Terracio L, Hirozane T, Borg TK. Differential integrin expression by cardiac fibroblasts from hypertensive and exercise-trained rat hearts. Cardiovasc Pathol 2004 Mar-Apr;11(2):78-87.