Effect of Burn on the Cardiac Function in Rats - Ultrastructural Changes and Stereological Analysis

To investigate an effect of bum on the cardiac function, we studied some biochemical assay, ultrastructural changes and stereological analysis in heart tissue. Sprague-Dawley rats were induced a 15% total body surface area scald burn. 5 and 24 hours later, the heart was excised. Burned rats showed the decrease of heart weight per body weight (%) compared with control. The activity of serum aspartate aminotransferase was significantly increased at 5 (p＜0.001) and 24 hours (p＜0.01) after burn compared with control. And the activity of serum LDH was decreased at 5 hours after burn but increased at 24 hours compared with control. Ultrastructurally, enlargement of interstitium and destruction of sarcolemma were observed at 5 and 24 hours after burn. Especially at 5 hours postburn, hypercontraction band was noted and at 24 hours, wavy fiber and muscle fraying were noted. In stereological changes, volume density of mitochondria and myofibril was significantly decreased at postburn 5 and 24 hours. But volume density of sarcoplasmic reticulum was significantly increased at postburn 5 hours. Our data suggest that dermal scald bum causes myocardial dysfunction.