Effects of diabetes on the development of heart failure in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model with acute myocardial infarction

AIM: To evaluate the time course and effect of diabetes on the development of heart failure (HF) in poorly controlled streptozotocin (STZ) -induced diabetic rat model for 70 d with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in vivo. METHODS: All SD rats were randomized into four groups. Diabetes were induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (65 mg/kg), and 70 d later after the induction, AMI models were made with the ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery. The time course of diabetic effects on the development of heart failure in rats before and after AMI was observed. The survival rate of the rats and ultrastructure change of myocardium, the hemodynamics, the extent of the myocardial fibrosis, and the cardiac hypertrophy were also determined. RESULTS: After the ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery, the diabetic rats showed worse LV function and accelerated left ventricular (LV) remodeling compared with the non-diabetic ones. Myocardial fibrosis in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats subjected to AMI was similar in the early phase, while it was quite different after 1 month. CONCLUSION: Heart failure progression is accelerated in diabetic rat with AMI.