Effects of hypokinesia and hypodynamia on the intraorganic arteries of the heart

The experiments were performed on rabbits kept in small cages for 2-12 weeks. Their motor activity was greatly restricted. The arteries of the heart were injected with an India ink-gelatine mass; injection was directly into the coronary arteries. After fixation in 10% formaline solution 120 micron sections were cut. These were cleared by the Malygin method and examined with a light microscope. After exposure to hypokinetic conditions the picture of the cardiac arterial bed changed. During the first weeks the capillaries of the myocardium were significantly constricted, their course becoming sinuous. With prolonged exposure to hypokinetic conditions the vessels were found to dilate gradually and myocardial architectonics changed.