Biochemical and Ultrastructural Cardiac Changes Induced by High-Fat Diet in Female and Male Prepubertal Rabbits

Figure 8

Electron photomicrographs of ultrathin sections in the cardiac tissue of prepubertal female rabbits. Normal-diet group (a, b) and high-fat diet group (c, d, e, f, g). Under the high-fat diet group, there is a decrease of myofibrils (Mf) which appear degenerated with sarcomere disorganization (e), enlargement of intercellular junctions (c, arrow) and abundant sparse mitochondria (M) (c, e, bold arrows), damaged junctional complexes (JC), and multiple lipid droplets (LD) (d, e, f, arrows). Damaged mitochondria appear swollen, elongated with variation in their size, disorganization, and loss of their cristae, with some figures evoking mitochondria duplication and others presenting electron-dense material in the matrix (d, e, f, g, arrows). JC: junctional complex; M: mitochondria; Mf: myofibrils; N: nucleus; LD: lipid droplet.

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