Evaluation of the effects of alcohol on the heart by stereological methods

Abstract

Alcohol is an agent with known toxic effects on body organs and tissues. It injures heart tissue, causing arrhythmia, left ventricular hypertrophy, and sudden death. In the present study we aimed to determine ethanol’s detrimental cardiac effects using the stereological technique. We enrolled 13 male Wistar albino rats. They were randomized into two groups as the Control (n=6) and Ethanol (n=7) groups. The ethanol group was orally administered 6.4% ethanol mixed with drinking water. The control group was subjected to no application. These procedures were continued for 1 8 days. At the end of the experiment the cardiac tissue was excised under anesthesia and the left ventricle was dissected. It was then subjected to the routine light microscopic histological examination procedure and embedded in paraffin. Sections of 5µm t hick were taken and stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin. In the stereological measurement the modified method of the Cavalieri principle was used. We detected the volume of left ventricular wall increase by the stereological technique, supporting the view tha t alcohol forms left ventricular hypertrophy.