PATHOLOGY OF THE HEART IN GOUT - II - EXP ERIMENTAL-STUDY

bChanges of the heart were studied in the model of gout in white mongr el rats, For 1 month the animals were fed a diet containing autolyzate of baker's leaven (source of purine), ammonium molibdate (activator o f xanthine oxidase) and inosine (precursor of uric acid). In 4 weeks a fter beginning of the experiment the following vascular changes were o bserved: thickening of myocardial small arteries and arterioles, hyper plasia, plasmatic infiltration and hyalinosis of vascular muscle fiber s, endothelial proliferation, perivascular sclerosis with lymphohistio cytic infiltrates, There was sclerosis at valvular bases with infiltra tes containing fibroblasts, macrophages, giant cells and plasmacytes, Dystrophy of cardiomyocytes was a consistent finding, Interrelationshi p was found between cardiac injury and severity of changes in thymus a nd spleen and parameters of cellular and humoral immunity, Improvement of cardiac morphological changes was noted during treatment with xant hine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol.