Disclosed is a method for evaluating the ability of a chemical substance or a chemical composition to prevent muscle fatigue and damage induced by physical exertion in humans; edible composition including at least one salt of a multivalent metal cation, at least one compound selected between vitamin E or vitamin E acetate, at least one edible polyphenol compound selected from compounds of the flavonol family, compounds of the anthocyanin family, compounds of the phenolic acid family and compounds of the flavonol family and/or the glucosylated derivatives thereof, in which the molar ratio/is of at least 0.50 and not more than 2.00; its use as a food supplement or for preparing a food supplement composition or as a drug for preventing muscle fatigue and/or muscle damage induced by physical exertion, in a method for the treatment of the human body by therapy.

The present invention relates to an in vitro method for evaluating the anti- or pro-arrhythmic potential, cardiotoxicity and/or modulation capacity of cardiomyocyte function of compound(s). The present invention also relates to compound(s) identified or evaluated in the method of the invention for use in the treatment of a heart disease. The present invention further relates to the use of the density change of cardiac Nav 1.5 sodium channels in intercalated discs of cardiomyocytes as marker and/or diagnostic for the anti- or pro-arrhythmic potential of a compound, the cardiotoxicity of a compound or modulation capacity of cardiomyocyte function by said compound, and/or in preclinical assessment for cardiac liability of compounds and cardio-safety assessment. The present invention further relates to a kit for evaluating the anti- or pro-arrhythmic potential, cardiotoxicity and/or modulation capacity of cardiomyocyte function of compound(s).

Disclosed here is a three-dimensional electronic scaffold, comprising a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold, wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to detect contraction force. Also disclosed is a method comprising detecting and mapping intra-tissue cardiac contraction force of one or more cardiac cells or tissues disposed in a three-dimensional electronic scaffold, wherein the three-dimensional electronic scaffold comprises a porous scaffold and a plurality of micro-strain gauges distributed spatially inside the porous scaffold and in contact with the cardiac cells or tissues, and wherein the micro-strain gauges are adapted to detect contraction force of the cardiac cells or tissues.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting heart damage in a patient. The invention also relates to methods for treatment of patients identified as having heart damage. The invention further pertains to methods for evaluating the efficacy of an ongoing therapeutic regimen designated to treat a damaged heart in a patient.

The present invention discloses a set of human microRNAs, or a primary transcript for such microRNAs, or a precursor of such microRNAs or a mimic of such MicroRNAs or a combination thereof and their use as medicaments for inducing proliferation of cardiomyocytes for the prevention and treatment of heart, diseases associated with a loss of cardiomyocytes. The invention also relates to a method for screening microRNAs and biological and therapeutically active compounds for their ability to increase proliferation of cardiomyocytes.

A method for rendering biological tissue sufficiently optically transparent for three-dimensional light microscopy imaging, comprising incubating biological tissue with an optical clearing solution, wherein the optical clearing solution comprises: (i) 20-50 wt % formamide, (ii) 10-90 wt % glycerol, and (iii) water as remainder. Also described herein is a method for ridding tissue of blood to make them amenable for optical clearing, comprising incubating biological tissue in a decolorizing solution, wherein the decolorizing solution comprises: (i) 0.5-3 wt % hydrogen peroxide, (ii) 0.05-1 wt % sodium azide, (iii) 5-20 wt % DMSO, and (iv) phosphate buffered saline as a remained. Also described herein is a method for reducing auto-fluorescence in biological tissue to permit imaging of the biological tissue in a fluorescence-based imaging technique with enhanced resolution, wherein the auto-fluorescence quenching solution comprises: 1-100 mM ammonium bicarbonate, (ii) 20-500 M copper sulfate, (iii) 5-20 wt % DMSO, and (iv) water as remainder.

A method for generating an in vitro cardiac tissue model. The method includes steps of: forming an elongated tissue by disposing a plurality of cardiomyocytes within a culture plate; culturing the tissue such that each end of the elongated tissue contacts one of a pair of attachment wires adhered to the culture plate; and electrically stimulating the elongated tissue in culture.

The present disclosure provides ex vivo chamber-specific cardiac tissues, methods for generating the cardiac tissues in a bioreactor, and methods of using the cardiac tissues. Examples of cardiac tissues that can be generated include, but are not limited to, atrial tissues, ventricular tissues, and composite tissues having an atrial tissue connected to a ventricular tissue.

In one aspect, provided is a composition (biomimetic composition) that includes a biomimetic in vitro model of an arteriolar vessel comprising: at least one of 1) human smooth muscle cells and 2) human pulmonary endothelial cells; wherein the vessel recapitulates one or more of the overall tubular geometry, morphometrics, extracellular matrix constituents, cellular morphology, cellular alignment, and functional heterotypic connections between the human smooth muscle cells and/or the human endothelial cells as compared to an in vivo arteriolar vessel. A microfluidics-based model platform of the pulmonary circulation is provided. Methods of use include measuring flow in biomimetic vessels, and to determine the resistance of these biomimetic vessels in the setting of a variety of experimental conditions that recapitulate the pathobiology of pulmonary hypertension.

A method for testing drug response of a cardiomyocyte, the method comprising: testing a response of the cardiomyocyte to an added drug in a culture medium under a condition in which a distance from a liquid surface of the culture medium to a bottom surface of a culture vessel contacted by the cardiomyocyte is 5.0 mm or less; or testing a response of the cardiomyocyte to an added drug immediately after placing the cardiomyocyte in a culture medium under a condition in which a distance from a liquid surface of the culture medium to a bottom surface of a culture vessel contacted by the cardiomyocyte is 5.0 mm or less.