[Animal modeling] - Preparation of alcoholic cardiomyopathy mouse model by liquid feed

  Objective To establish a mouse model of alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ALCM) with liquid feed, and provide a good animal model for the study of the mechanism of ALCM.

  Methods 16 week old C57 mice (n=21 in alcohol group; n=9 in nonalcoholic group) were fed with alcohol containing liquid diet and nonalcoholic control diet. The alcohol concentration of the diet containing alcohol gradually increased from 4.8% to 5.4%. The mice were fed for 8 weeks. The body weight was measured every week to monitor the mortality rate. After 8 weeks, echocardiography and pathological examination were performed.

  Results The weight of the alcohol fed group decreased from the second week to the eighth week; At the same time, 7 mice in the alcohol group died during the alcohol feeding period (33.3%), while there was no death in the control group; The results of cardiac ultrasound showed that the anterior and posterior walls of the ventricles of the mice in the alcohol group were significantly thinner than those in the control group, the inner diameter of the ventricles was increased, and the ejection fraction and the shortening rate of the short axis of the heart were significantly reduced; The heart/body mass index of the mice in the alcohol group was significantly larger than that of the control group, and the HE staining results also confirmed that the heart of the mice in the alcohol group was significantly larger.

  Conclusion After 8 weeks of alcoholic liquid feed, the mouse heart showed typical pathological features of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, such as overall enlargement, thinning of left ventricular wall, and poor cardiac function. Therefore, the mouse model of alcoholic cardiomyopathy can be successfully prepared by this method.