Abstract

LITHIUM CARBONATE INDUCED HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE HEART OF ALBINO RATS

Nasseer Ahmad Shah, *Gh. Mohd. Bhat, Shaheen Shadad, Mohammad Muzaffar Lone

ABSTRACT

Background: Lithium is routinely used to treat Mania and other psychiatric disorders. It prevents the mood swing changes in bipolar disorders and the treatment is usually prolonged. Aim of study: To observe histopathalogical changes in the heart of lithium carbonate treated Albino rats. Material and methods: Sixty albino rats were taken and divided into two groups; group A (control group) of 15 animals, were fed with normal diet and group B of 45 animals, were fed normal diet along with lithium carbonate at the dose of 30mgs/kgm body weight daily. The animals were sacrificed at four, eight and twelve week’s interval, 5μm sections of heart prepared and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin stain. Results: there were degenerative changes in cardiomyocytes, focal areas of chronic inflammation subendocardial hemorrhages and multiple small hemorrhages in myocardial muscle bundles. Conclusion: therapeutic doses of lithium carbonate produces duration dependent histopathological changes in heart like degenerative changes in cardiomyocytes leading to necrosis and finally fibrosis, sub-endocardial and intramuscular hemorrhages and chronic inflammation leading to myocarditis. It is suggested that patients on chronic lithium therapy should be monitored for its side effects on heart.

Keywords: Lithium carbonate, Cardiomyosites, Myocardites, Myocardial hemorrhages.