[Animal modeling] - Establishment of rabbit model of myocardial iron overload and study on iron deposition rule

  Objective To explore the method of making animal model of myocardial iron deposition and the relationship between heart and liver.

  Methods 40 male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into experimental group (32 rabbits) and control group (8 rabbits). The rabbits in the experimental group were subcutaneously injected with iron dextran 200 mg/kg every week; Two white rabbits were randomly killed every Sunday, and one white rabbit in the control group was randomly killed every Sunday with an interval of one week; Take out part of the heart and liver tissues, wash them repeatedly with normal saline until the residual blood in the heart and liver tissues is drained, and place them in an electric thermostatic blast drying oven (temperature 65 ℃) until the weight does not change. The dried heart and liver tissues were measured with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer for iron concentration (CIC, LIC), and part of the heart and liver tissues were fixed for HE staining and Prussian blue staining.

  Results With the increase of iron injection, the pathological results showed that the number of Prussian blue stained iron particles in the myocardium of rabbits in the experimental group increased, and CIC increased gradually (range: 0.20~2.34 mg/g dry weight, median: 1.24 mg/g dry weight). CIC was moderately correlated with total iron injection (r=0.698, P<0.05, P<0.001), and CIC was moderately correlated with serum iron (r=0.415, P<0.05, P=0.022). There is a high correlation between CIC and LIC (r=0.712, P<0.05, P<0.001).

  Conclusion The rabbit model of myocardial iron overload can be established by subcutaneous injection of 200 mg/kg iron dextran. There is no correlation between iron deposition in heart and liver.