Home › Analytical Chem › Harvest of Endothelial Cells from the Balloon Tips of Swan-Ganz Catheters after Right Heart Catheterization
Analytical Chem JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Harvest of Endothelial Cells from the Balloon Tips of Swan-Ganz Catheters after Right Heart Catheterization

DOI: 10.3791/58353-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Collect pulmonary artery endothelial cells from Swan-Ganz catheter balloon tips
  • ✓ Purify harvested endothelial cells using selective culture techniques
  • ✓ Characterize and analyze isolated PAECs for research applications
Protocol

This protocol describes the removal and purification of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) that adhere to the balloon tips of Swan-Ganz catheters while they are wedged in the pulmonary artery during right heart catheterization and remain adherent to the deflated balloon following removal from the patient's body.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~2–4 hours (collection at bedside + same-day harvest and purification)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Collect endothelial cells at patient bedside

Following right heart catheterization, harvest pulmonary artery endothelial cells that adhere to the deflated Swan-Ganz catheter balloon tip immediately after withdrawal. Transfer the balloon tip to collection medium at the bedside.

▶ 00:40
2
Harvest cells from balloon tip substrate

Remove adherent endothelial cells from the balloon material using enzymatic digestion and mechanical scraping in the laboratory. Resuspend harvested cells in culture medium for downstream processing.

▶ 01:44
3
Purify endothelial cells by selective culture

Isolate pulmonary artery endothelial cells from contaminating cell types using endothelial-specific culture conditions and selective adhesion protocols. Establish primary cultures of purified PAECs.

▶ 03:49
4
Analyze and characterize harvested endothelial cells

Perform morphological assessment and immunophenotypic characterization of isolated PAECs to confirm endothelial cell identity and viability. Document results for validation.

▶ 05:54
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