title: Morphological and biomechanical study of abdominal aorta of rats submitted to experimental chronic alcoholism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of experimental chronic alcoholism in the morphology and biomechanics of the aorta, in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups of 22 animals each: in the alcoholism group, the rats received water mixed to increasing concentrations of ethyl alcohol; and control group: the rats received pure water for 180 days. The animals were then killed by an overdose of pentobarbital and the abdominal aortas were excised for histological (hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, Calleja, and Picrosirius red stain), histomorphometrical, and biomechanical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histology and histomorphometry did not show differences in aorta morphology of both groups. Biomechanical analysis showed a significantly greater yield point elongation in the alcoholic rat group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic alcoholism did not cause morphological alterations in the aortic wall but increased elongation, without modifying any other mechanical properties.
authors: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anestesiologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia de Botucatu, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP-São Paulo State University, Botucatu. nereide@fmvz.unesp.br
authors: Nereide Freire
authors: NF
authors: Cerqueira
authors: Winston Bonetti
authors: WB
authors: Yoshida
authors: Sérgio Swain
authors: SS
authors: Müller
authors: Júlio Lopes
authors: JL
authors: Sequeira
authors: Antônio Castro
authors: AC
authors: de Rodrigues
authors: Carlos Roberto
authors: CR
authors: Padovani
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats