[Stereometric study of the relation between the surfaces of the cardiomyocytes and the walls of cardiac capillaries under normal conditions and in acute myocardial infarct].

Stereometrical analysis of histological myocardial sections stained by the Mac -- Manus method modified by the authors showed a wide individual variation of values characterizing the overall surface and the relative specific surface of the muscle fibers, and the correlation between the relative surfaces of the capillaries and the muscle fibers in the hearts of practically healthy individuals who died in accidents. The myocardium of the anterior papillary muscle and intramural part of the left-ventricular wall were found to have the lowest values. Myocardial infarction occurred rather more frequently in individuals whose heart was characterized by low value of the relationship of the surfaces of the capillary walls and those of the cardiac myocytes and low value of the relative specific surface of the myocardial muscle fibers. This allows such individual structural organization of the myocardium to be accepted as a risk factor of ischemic heart disease and to be considered a manifestation of an unfavourable morphological background promoting earlier ischemia of the myocardium.