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Abstract
Using stereological techniques capillaries, interstitium and myocardial fibers were
analyzed in perfusion-fixed hearts of subtotally nephrectomized male Sprague-Dawley
rats with uremia of 14 months duration (or their sham-operated controls). Uremic rats
had higher systolic blood pressure (140 +/- 20.3 mm Hg vs. 119 +/- 6.61 mm Hg) and
left ventricular weight/body weight ratio (3.37 +/- 0.09 mg/kg vs. 2.01 +/- 0.12 mg/kg)
than controls, and had slight anemia (Hct 35.0 +/- 3.16% vs. 40.4 +/- 3.3%). Length
density (Lv) of capillaries, that is, capillary length per unit myocardial volume,
was significantly (P < 0.001) decreased in uremia (2485 +/- 264 mm/mm3 vs. 3329 +/-
194 mm/mm3) versus controls. In parallel, surface density and volume density of the
capillary lumina were also reduced (7.95 +/- 1.69 cm3/cm3 vs. 11.4 +/- 1.8 cm3/cm3)
in the uremic rats. We conclude that in experimental uremia, cardiac hypertrophy is
not accompanied by a commensurate increase in capillaries.