title: Markedly increased intracellular lipid droplets and disruption of intercellular junctions in biopsied myocardium from a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by the progressive replacement of myocardial cells by fat and fibrous tissue. Here we describe the histopathological features of biopsied myocardium from a patient with ARVC. A large amount of adipose tissue was present in the biopsy specimen, and a group of myocardial cells were isolated as an island-like region in the adipose tissue. Electron microscopic examination of cardiomyocytes revealed a large number of intracellular lipid droplets, including some extremely large droplets. Disruptions of the plasma membrane and dissociation of intercellular junctions were associated with discharge of intracellular lipid droplets into the interstitial space. The high accumulation of intracellular lipid droplets may be involved in the pathogenesis of ARVC and may have played an important role in myocardial cell death and progressive replacement of cardiomyocytes by fatty tissue in the current case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki 569-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Terasaki
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katashima
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
authors.forename: Keishiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitaura
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008055:Lipids; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids