Carbon monoxide exposure leads to systemic hypoxia and may cause structural myocardial injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate age-dependent morphometric changes in the myocardium of white outbred rats under carbon monoxide-induced hypoxia. The study was performed on 6- and 18-month-old white outbred rats. Myocardial tissue was examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining and digital morphometric analysis. After carbon monoxide exposure, 6-month-old rats showed moderate cardiomyocyte enlargement, reduced cellular density, increased stromal-parenchymal ratio and expansion of the pericapillary diffusion zone.

carbon monoxide, myocardium, hypoxia, cardiomyocytes, morphometry, aging, pericapillary diffusion.

Weaver L.K. Carbon monoxide poisoning. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360(12):1217–1225.

Prockop L.D., Chichkova R.I. Carbon monoxide intoxication: an updated review. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 2007;262(1–2):122–130.

Henry C.R., Satran D., Lindgren B., Adkinson C., Nicholson C.I., Henry T.D. Myocardial injury and long-term mortality following moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning. JAMA. 2006;295(4):398–402.

Suner S., Jay G. Carbon monoxide has direct toxicity on the myocardium distinct from effects of hypoxia in an ex vivo rat heart model. Academic Emergency Medicine. 2008;15(1):59–65.

Biernacka A., Frangogiannis N.G. Aging and cardiac fibrosis. Aging and Disease. 2011;2(2):158–173.

Severs N.J. The cardiac intercalated disc. International Journal of Cardiology. 1990;26(2):137–173.