Abstract
Early vascular changes in the heart were observed in 52-week-old rats given excessive doses of vitamin D2 and cholesterol for 5 days. The body weight of treated rats was decreased. The serum cholesterol and calcium levels were significantly elevated (P<0.01) in the treated group. Microscopically, in the treated rat atrophy and necrosis of the myocardial fibers were seen in the myocardium accompanied with macrophage infiltrating into the necrotizing areas. The coronary arteries were irregular shape and arterial wall showed thin and fragmentary appearance. Microcorrosion casts revealed wavy courses of the right and left coronary arteries and spiral courses of the capillaries in the affected cardiovasculature. Endothelial impressions on the arterial surface were weakened. These results domonstrated that not only myocardial degeneration but also abnormal cardiovascular structures occurred within a short period after administration of excessive doses of vitamin D2 and cholesterol. This implied that the abnormal courses of the cardiovasculature may in part contribute to the reduction of cardiac functions.
