Abstract Introduction Airflow limitation in pulmonary emphysema (PE) affects pulmonary mechanics in terms of static and dynamic hyperinflation, which in turn can also influence cardiac performance. Objective To evaluate the structure of hearts and lungs in mice subjected to an experimental model of elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema. Method Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly distributed into two main groups: control (CTRL) and PE. The PE group animals received four intratracheal instillations of porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) at one-week intervals (0.2 IU in 50 μL of saline). The CTRL group received the same volume of saline solution (50 μL). Four weeks after the last instillation, the animals were euthanized for the collection of lungs and hearts for histopathological analysis. Heart sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for analysis of cardiomyocyte diameter. Results Stereological analyses showed that the volume density of alveolar air space (Vv a) was higher in the PE group (71.02%; 66.65-76.49) compared to the CTRL group (55.55%; 50.55-62.70). The volume density of alveolar septa (Vv sa) was lower in the PE group (24.85%; 20.39-28.98) compared to the control group (34.38%; 28.52-38.95). The mean linear intercept showed increased alveolar wall rupture in the PE group (378.40 ± 48.40 mm) compared to the control group (260.50 ± 71.02 mm). The PE group showed a larger cardiomyocyte diameter in the left ventricle (14.46 ± 0.21 mm) and a smaller diameter in the right ventricle (13.15 ± 0.28 mm) compared to the control group (13.10 ± 0.17 and 14.16 ± 0.33 mm, respectively). Conclusion PE caused a structural imbalance in the heart, inducing left ventricular hypertrophy and right ventricular atrophy. This type of alteration can have serious consequences for cardiac function. The hypertrophy of the left ventricle and the possible atrophy of the right ventricle create a disbalance that can lead to blood pumping problems, increased pressure, and long-term dysfunctions. This abstract is funded by: Fundação Educacional Lucas Machado – FELUMA; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq); Research Support Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais – FAPEMIG)
Rodrigues-machado et al. (Fri,) studied this question.