Morphological and biomechanical study of abdominal aorta of rats submitted to experimental chronic alcoholism

PURPOSE: To assess the influence of experimental chronic alcoholism in the morphology and biomechanics of the aorta, in a rat model. METHODS: Forty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups of 22 animals each: in the alcoholism group, the rats received water mixed to increasing concentrations of ethyl alcohol; and control group: the rats received pure water for 180 days. The animals were then killed by an overdose of pentobarbital and the abdominal aortas were excised for histological (hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, Calleja, and Picrosirius red stain), histomorphometrical, and biomechanical analysis. RESULTS: Histology and histomorphometry did not show differences in aorta morphology of both groups. Biomechanical analysis showed a significantly greater yield point elongation in the alcoholic rat group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic alcoholism did not cause morphological alterations in the aortic wall but increased elongation, without modifying any other mechanical properties.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Cerqueira,Nereide Freire, Yoshida,Winston Bonetti, Müller,Sérgio Swain, Sequeira,Júlio Lopes, Rodrigues,Antônio de Castro, Padovani,Carlos Roberto
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa em Cirurgia 2005
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-86502005000300004
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