Pathological and biochemical analysis of dilated cardiomyopathy of broiler chickens--an animal model

Forty-seven birds (M/F = 33/14) with natural outbreak dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) of right ventricle (RV) and 33 birds with artificially cool-induced DCM hearts were studied. Clinically, 20 severe and 13 mild DCM cases were induced during five weeks and the peak morbidity was in the 2nd week. The progressive dilatation of RV and hypokinesis of septum was shown by echocardiography. At autopsy, the ratio of heart weights to the body weights was increased, the ratio of RV weight to the total ventricle significantly increased, especially in the severe DCM cases (P < 0.05). The RV was dilated and the wall thickness was increased and finally both RV and left ventricle (LV) were markedly dilated and the septum became thinner. The struts, weave and coil demonstrated by silver impregnation stain were fragmented, dissociated and overstretched. The promatrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, -9 and active MMP-2 were markedly increased in natural outbreak DCM cases, especially in the RV (P < 0.05). The proMMP-2 and active MMP-2 was increased in the cool induced DCM cases, especially in the RV of severe DCM (P < 0.05). These indicated that both the natural outbreak and the artificially induced DCM of broiler chickens are ideal DCM animal models.