Morphometric and biochemical characteristics of short-term effects of ethanol on rat cardiac muscle

Alcoholism is a very important cause of congestive cardiomyopathy in man. T he aim of this study was to examine a short-term effect of ethanol in rat c ardiac muscle, using histologic, morphometric and biochemical methods. Expe riments were carried out in Wistar male albino rats, divided into two group s: the control group consisting of eight animals receiving tap water, and t he experimental group comprising eight animals received ethyl alcohol for t en days, in a single daily dose of 3 g ethanol/kg body weight, per os, usin g esophageal intubation. The mean volume weighted nuclear volume of cardiac myocytes was estimated b y point sampled intercept method, by objective x100. The mean cubed nuclear intercept length was multiplied by pi and divided by 3. For biochemical an alysis, a 10% water tissue homogenate from the left ventricle was made. In the experimental group, the mean volume-weighted nuclear volume (15.08 +/- 5.20 mu m(3)) was significantly lower than in the control group (51.32 +/- 7.83 mu m(3)) (p < 0.001). The treatment of experimental animals with ethan ol caused significant increase of aldolase (p < 0.0001) and aspartate trans aminase (p < 0.05) activity in the rat cardiac tissue; at the same time, th e enzyme activity of creatine phosphokinase, alanine transaminase and alkal ine phosphatase were not changed in the experimental group compared to the control values. The amount of the glucose in the cardiac muscle was greater in the experimental group compared to the control animals. Our results sug gest that there is depression of cardiomyocyte nuclei in experimental anima ls treated with ethanol. Alcohol intake results in the loss of Krebs cycle enzymes and as a consequence there is greater utilization of fatty acids fo r energy production.