Stereologic analysis of the myocardium in alcoholic cardiomyopathy

By methods of light and electron microscopies, morphometric and stereologic analysis the effect of ethanol, thiamine deficiency diet and ethanol combined with B1 hypovitaminosis in 24 Wistar male-rats during 6 weeks was studied. Ultrastructural features of decreasing protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism were revealed both in ethanol administration and in B1 hypovitaminosis. There is shown in alcoholic intoxication the statistically significant decrease of capillary volume density and increase of volume density of connective tissue cells in myocardium. It was shown, that B1 hypovitaminosis resulted in decrease of myocardial mass mainly at the expense of volume density and absolute total mass of muscle fibers. The most expressed changes of tissue organization were revealed in combined influence of ethanol and B1 hypovitaminosis.