Experimental models of dilating cardiopyopathy in the rat: biochemical and histopathological investigations

ABSTRACT

We deviced a plan of experimental models to study the problem of dilating [congestive] cardiomyopathy. In one set, rats were treated either with distilled water [control] or cobalt acetate [20 mg/kg. ip] six times weekly [cobalt treated] or adriamycin [50 mg/kg. ip] four times weekly [adriamycin treated] and the treatment maintained for two weeks. In another set rats were subjected to stressful situations either by immobilizing them individually in animal cages or by immersing them in water three hours daily six times a week over a period of two weeks. Our results showed that all these treated groups had cardiomegaly and we distinguished different non specific histopathological changes suggestive of cardiomyopathy associated with an increase in serum cholesterol levels. According to these findings it may be appropriate to consider that the different histopathological changes of cardiomyopathies depend on the insulting stimuli, and serum cholesterol could be a useful biochemical marker of this problem entity