Biomedical Research

The objective of this study was to analyze the cardiac effects of exposure to monosodium glutamate for a period of 7 days alone and in combination with beta-carotene supplementa-tion. Rats were allocated into: control (Ι), experimental group (ΙΙ) exposed to 4 mg of mono-sodium glutamate for 7 days and experimental group (ΙΙΙ) exposed to monosodium gluta-mate and 300 mg/kg/diet beta-carotene for 7 days. After three days of randomization, car-diac structure was assessed by electron microscopy. The myocardial cells after exposure to monosodium glutamate illustrated branching cytoplasmic network of cardiac muscle with cross striations which are retracted around the nuclei. These nuclei showed dense and elec-tron dense heterochromatin that associated with nuclear covering and dense chromatin dis-tributed in the nucleoplasm. Delicate supportive tissue filling the intercellular spaces con-taining blood was also seen. Ultrastructurally, vacuolation of the mitochondria with frag-mentation of its cristae with loss of its striations were observed. The myofibrils were disso-ciated with irregularities of its sarcomere. Empty spaces in the cytoplasm with disrupted in-tercalated disc were observed. In beta-carotene plus monosodium glutamate, most fibers showed normal morphological aspects. In conclusion: One week monosodium glutamate ex-posure induces morphological cardiac alterations and beta-carotene supplementation at-tenuates this ventricular remodeling process.

Author(s): Mohamed Samir Ahmed Zaki
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