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Ultrastructural changes induced in the isolated rat heart by enzymatically generated oxygen radicals
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
|April 1, 1987
Summary
Oxygen radicals cause significant damage to rat heart cells, including mitochondrial swelling and cell membrane disruption. Antioxidants like SOD and catalase protect against these oxygen radical-induced ultrastructural changes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Cellular Ultrastructure
- Oxidative Stress Research
Background:
- Oxygen radicals are implicated in cardiovascular damage.
- Understanding their precise effects on myocardial ultrastructure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ultrastructural effects of enzymatically generated oxygen radicals on isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts.
- To quantify these changes using stereological methods.
Main Methods:
- Isolated rat hearts were perfused with xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine to generate oxygen radicals.
- Hearts were fixed and examined using electron microscopy.
- Stereological techniques were employed to estimate volume fractions of cellular components.
Main Results:
- Perfusion with oxygen radicals led to myocardial cell damage, including mitochondrial swelling, filament disruption, intracellular edema, and sarcolemma damage.
- Stereological analysis showed increased myocyte volume, cellular edema, and endothelial swelling after 10 minutes of oxygen radical exposure.
- Mitochondrial volume fraction remained constant despite swelling, and antioxidant treatment (SOD and catalase) significantly reduced observed damage.
Conclusions:
- Oxygen radicals induce significant and rapid ultrastructural alterations in myocardial cells.
- These findings highlight the role of oxidative stress in cardiac injury.
- Antioxidant enzymes effectively mitigate oxygen radical-induced cardiac ultrastructural damage.