The effects of simultaneous alcohol and nickel sulphate poisoning on the cardiovascular system of rats.

Two groups of male OFA rats received 10% ethanol and 5% sugar, or 5% sugar in their drinking-water. One half of each group received 5 mg/kg b.w. daily dose of nickel sulphate in 10 ml of physiological saline by gavage, for three weeks, while the other half of the groups received 10 ml physiological saline. Morphological (light and electron microscopic) and haemodynamic (radioactive microsphere method) examinations were performed. It was found, that alcohol caused decreases of borderline significance of the arterial blood pressure and the nutritive blood flow of the heart, while nickel sulphate significantly increased the arterial blood pressure, the vascular resistance of the kidneys, liver and brain, increased TPR in a tendinous way. Following a simultaneous administration of alcohol and nickel considerably increased the arterial blood pressure (statistically interaction at a level of borderline significance) and caused the appearance of swollen mitochondria and dilated sarcoplasmatic reticulum in the ultrastructure of the heart. It is concluded, that 1. pathomechanism of myocardium-damaging effects of nickel sulphate and alcohol is different; 2. nickel sulphate and alcohol together (at least in a certain dose range) increase the arterial blood pressure.