Morphologic characteristic of rat myocardium in comorbid pathology

Abstract

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Aim. Therefore, we aimed to study myocardial changes in adult rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM exposed to chronic immobilization stress (CIS). Materials and methods. A total of 26 adult albino male rats weighing 180–200 g were examined. All the animals were divided into three groups: Group I included 10 rats with STZ-induced DM exposed to CIS; Group II comprised 10 rats with STZ-induced DM; Group III included 6 intact animals. The samples were collected on the 14th and 56th days of the experiment. Histological, histochemical, electron microscopy, and biochemical methods were used. Results. On the 14th day of the experiment, in Group I and Group II, increased blood flow was observed in the capillaries, venules, and veins, while an arteriolar spasm in the microcirculation was found. In addition, cardiomyocyte surface area in different myocardial regions reduced due to low glycogen content as confirmed by histochemical and ultrastructural studies. On the 56th day of the experiment, in Group I and Group II, hyperemia occurred due to red blood cell aggregation and microthrombi. The surface area of all microcirculatory vessels increased as compared to that of intact animals, as evidenced by an increase in their wall surface area leading to an increase in their wall-to-lumen ratio. Such morphometric changes in the microcirculatory vessels were indicative of decreased vascular permeability and impaired myocardial blood flow. At the histological level, in Group I and Group II, focal cardiomyocyte lysis, moderate to diffuse stromal edema, lymphohistiocytic infiltration were seen. Such changes pointed to sterile inflammation, probably due to myocardial infraction secondary to diabetic microangiopathy. In cardiomyocytes, karyolysis, vacuolar degeneration, apical ballooning, subsarcolemmic edema, fibrosis and lysis of myofibrils, colliquative necrosis were observed. Conclusions. STZ-induced DM and stress resulted in pronounced destructive changes in the myocardium of rats, including interstitial edema, focal cardiosclerosis, myolysis. Such changes occurred on the background developing diabetic microangiopathy. The most pronounced myocardial changes were recorded in animals with a comorbidity.