Author:
Tverdokhlib I.V.,Marchenko D.G.
Abstract
The effects of intrauterine alcohol exposure on heart development, specifically the contractile apparatus and myofibril distribution within cardiomyocytes, remain controversial. Aim: This study investigates the postnatal dynamics of myofibril ultrastructure in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes following chronic maternal alcohol exposure. Methods: We analyzed cardiac tissue from offspring of chronically alcoholized rats at various postnatal stages using transmission electron microscopy. Quantitative parameters of cardiomyocyte myofibrils in different ventricular myocardial zones were assessed. Results: Chronic maternal alcohol exposure appeared to inhibit sarcomerogenesis and reduced overall myofibril content in the hearts of newborn offspring. Furthermore, we observed increased myofibril surface area and disrupted spatial orientation in subendocardial left ventricular cardiomyocytes and intramural zones of both ventricles. Even in mature offspring, the myocardial contractile apparatus remained irreversibly damaged, exhibiting reduced myofibril density, increased surface area, and disrupted orientation.
Publisher
Ukrainian Medical Stomatological Academy
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