Background: Hypoglycemia is a life-threatening stress, often seen in neonatal age because of inborn hyperinsulinism, inherited disorder in sugar metabolism and vigorous insulin treatment for juvenile-onset Diabetes Mellitus. Recurrent hypoglycemia typically disturbs cardiovascular function. Therefore this study aimed to explore the consequences of hypoglycemia on the postnatal heart structure in male albino rats.
Material and Methods: Thirty six male albino rat pups at postnatal week 2(PNW2) were randomly allocated into two groups; control (GroupI) and treated (GroupII). GroupI was further split equally into control negative (gained no medicines) and control positive (injected Sc with 0.3 ml saline 3 times/week). Group II were injected Sc with human regular insulin 3 IU/kg body weight, 3 times/ week. Each of the previous groups were extra split according to age of animal sacrificing (at either PNW3 or PNW11) into 2 subgroups. Heart specimens were managed for light microscope, immuno-histochemical and morphometric studies. Blood samples were got for cardiac enzyme estimation.
Results: Induced hypoglycemia resulted in histological changes in the normal heart structure manifested by apparently disarrayed hypertrophied cardiac muscle fibers, vascular congestion and increased connective tissue cells. Also, the cardiomyocyte cytoplasm exhibited cytoplasmic vacuolization and rarefaction. Moreover, nuclear pyknosis and pleomorphism were obvious. Comparable to control groups, increased collagen fiber deposition, declined glycogen content, weakened desmin and increased P53 immune expressing, elevated serum cardiac and decreased antioxidant enzymatic levels were manifested. These findings were evident at PNW11 hypoglycemic group.
Conclusion: Intermittent hypoglycemia had detrimental consequences on the postnatal heart structure via oxidative stress.