[Animal modeling] - Effect of carbon tetrachloride induced acute liver injury on the heart of rats

  Objective To investigate the effects of carbon tetrachloride on cardiac function and morphology in rats with acute liver injury.

  Methods The rat model of acute liver injury was established by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 with low, medium and high concentrations, and the control group was intraperitoneal injection of equal volume of vegetable oil. ECG was detected at 24 h and 48 h respectively, and the animals were killed after blood was taken from abdominal aorta; Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and cardiac troponin I (cTn I) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; The liver and heart tissues were sectioned and stained with HE. The pathological changes were observed under light microscope; The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and creatine kinase (CK) in myocardium were measured by visible spectrophotometer.

  Results The changes of serum ALT content and liver morphology in the model group proved that the model of CCl4 induced acute liver injury was successful, and the degree of liver injury was concentration dependent. ECG detection showed that the ECG of rats in the model group showed electrophysiological changes in varying degrees, such as ST segment dorsal elevation, T wave apex, and Q-T interval extension. HE staining showed that there were obvious pathological changes in the heart tissue, and the degree of inflammatory reaction, edema and necrosis of myocardial cells gradually increased with the increase of CCl4 injection concentration. Serum cTn Ⅰ level was significantly increased (P.

  Conclusion The function and morphology of the heart in CCl4 induced acute liver injury rats also changed, and the degree of myocardial injury was concentration and time dependent.