Summary
The effect of hypothermia with and without ethanol on the myocardium and skeletal muscle was studied. Changes were observed in both muscle types. The mildest lesions were discoloration of the muscle cells with acid fuchsin and Heidenhain's iron haematoxylin staining, these being more marked in the skeletal muscle. Waving and contraction bands in the muscle were seen in hypothermia. The most severe lesion was a focus with oedema and haemorrhage, a reduced reaction ofβ-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and fragmentation of the muscle cells, and this was more frequent in the myocardium. Occasionally discoloration, contraction bands and waving were also seen in the controls killed by a blow on the neck. The changes were more numerous in the guinea pigs given ethanol before cold exposure, and serum creatinine phosphokinase was elevated in the same group. Urinary excretion of adrenaline increased in cold exposure, but noradrenaline did not change significantly. Hypoxia, catecholamines, and sludging of the blood are discussed as possible aetiological factors for the lesions.
Zusammenfassung
Die Einwirkung von Hypothermie auf das Myokard und den Skelettmuskel sowie die Mitwirkung von äthylalkohol wurde an Meerschweinchen studiert. Veränderungen konnten in beiden Muskelgruppen festgestellt werden. Eine leichte Läsion der Muskelzellen zeichnete sich als Dyskolorierung mit der Acid-Fuchsin- und Heidenhains-Eisen-Haematoxylin-Färbung. Die Veränderungen waren ausgeprägter in der Skelettmuskulatur.
Die Hypothermie-Gruppe zeigte wellenförmige Deformation der Muskelfasern und sog. hyaline Querbänder. Die stärksten Veränderungen: ein Focus mit Oedem, Haemorrhagie, Fragmentierung der Muskelzellen sowie eine herabgesetzte Reaktion derβ-Hydroxy-Buttersäure-Dehydrogenase wurden häufiger im Myokard beobachtet. Gelegentlich sah man auch bei den Kontrolltieren, die durch einen Schlag in den Nacken getötet wurden, Dyskolorierung und wellenförmige Deformierung der Muskelfasern sowie hyaline Querbänder.
Die Veränderungen wurden häufiger bei denjenigen Meerschweinchen gesehen, die Alkohol vor der Kälteeinwirkung bekommen hatten. In derselben Gruppe waren auch die CPK-Werte im Serum erhöht. In der Kälte war die Urinexkretion von Adrenalin erhöht, dagegen beim Noradrenalin gab es keine statistisch signifikante Veränderung. Als mögliche ätiologische Faktoren der Läsionen werden Hypoxie, Katecholamine und Erythrozytenaggregation diskutiert.
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Hirvonen, J., Penttinen, J., Huttunen, P. et al. Changes in the myocardium and skeletal muscle in guinea pigs in cold exposure with and without ethanol. Z Rechtsmed 84, 195–207 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01866571
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01866571