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    STUDIA BIOLOGIA - Issue no. 1 / 2001  
         
  Article:   HISTOLOGICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF THE MYOCARDIUM OF RATS TREATED WITH AN ANTHRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTIC - EPIRUBICIN.

Authors:  CRISTINA PAŞCA, VIOREL MICLĂUŞ, CONSTANTIN CRĂCIUN, ERIKA KIS, VICTORIA-DOINA SANDU, IONEL PAPUC, VERONICA CRĂCIUN. 		 
       
         
  Abstract:  The light microscopic characteristics and ultrastructure of the muscle cells of the left ventricular wall of the rat heart have been studied during certain pathologic processes induced by hypoxia or some toxic drugs. Epirubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic, a cytostatic drug widely used in the chemotherapy of many types of cancer in humans, which is able to determine significant toxic injury at the level of myocardium. Cardiotoxicity is one of its side effects, which, according to previous studies, is a significant feature. Our studies tried to evaluate the histological and ultrastructural modifications induced by a single dose of 89 mg Epirubicin/m2 body surface on the rat myocardium. By light microscopy, it could be seen that this cytostatic caused circulatory disturbances consisting of congestion, stasis, changes of the vascular permeability correlated with the appearance of a significant perivascular and interfascicular oedema. Epirubicin affected both the vessels and the myocytes, inducing a granular degeneration and myolysis. In addition, this drug caused many severe interfascicular haemorrhages.The electron microscopy showed that the lesions are determined by the alterations of the vascular permeability. The oedema progressed between the myocytes, broke the intercellular junctions and affected the cell membrane, inducing swelling and, finally, its breaking. Then, the oedema progressed between the myofibrils and determined the myocyte disorganisation. In the areas with an advanced lysis, a collagenous proliferation could be seen.  
         
     
         
         
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