Necrotic and apoptotic myocyte cell death in the aging heart of Fischer 344 rats

Anversa. Necrotic and apoptotic myocyte cell death in the aging heart of Fischer 344 rats. Am. J. PhysioZ. 271 (Heart Circ. PhysioZ. 40): Hl215-H1228, 1996.-To determine the effects of aging on myocyte cell death, Fischer 344 rats at 3,7, 12, 16, and 24 mo of age were injected with myosin monoclo-nal antibody for the localization and quantification of necrotic myocyte cell death in the left ventricle, interventricular septum, and right ventricle. Conversely, the presence of DNA strand breaks in myocyte nuclei, indicative of programmed cell death, was evaluated by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assay and confirmed by DNA laddering. Myocyte necrosis, which involved nearly 1,000 myocytes in the left ventricular free wall at 3 mo, progressively increased with aging, reaching a value of 13,600 myocytes at 24 mo. Corre-sponding values in the interventricular septum were 300 an