Heart pathology associated with exposure to high sustained +Gz

The pathology of +Gz acceleration was examined using unanesthetized adult miniature and immature "farm-type" swine, with and without anti-G suit inflation. Following single exposures of +8 or 9 Gz for 45 to 90 s--acceleration exposures that have been shown "tolerable" to man--swine were sacrificed and a detailed necropsy performed. Considering only the adult miniature swine, the endocardial area of the left ventricles showed evidence grossly of recent hemorrhage of varying severity involving both the wall and papillary muscles. The degree and location of the subendocardial hemorrhage were quantitated by grading the area of ventricle involved--1 (slight) to 4 (extensive). Of the 23 adult miniature pigs autopsied, the scores for papillary muscle hemorrhage, after one exposure to +9 Gz (45 to 90 s) ranged from a mean of 2.3 to 3.3 and the extent of ventricular wall involvement was 2.5 to 3.3. Histologically, heart hemorrhage was limited to the subendocardial area, primarily involving the space between heart muscle and the endocardium and was particularly evident surrounding Pukinje's fibers. Similar studies using immature farm-type swine (not miniature pigs) found these younger swine (4 to 5 months of age) to be less susceptible to such endocardial hemorrhage. Heart tissue recovery in these pigs following one exposure to +9 Gz for 45 s, required approximately 14 d. It appears that this lesion is similar, although less severe, than heart muscle lesions associated with loss blood volume (hemorrhagic shock) studies and may have similar physiologic bases. It was concluded that particular attention should be made of the endocardium of victims of high-performance aircraft accidents.