[Cardiomyocytic dedifferentiation, "hibernation", and apoptosis are possible factors of progressive diabetic cardiomyopathy].

The study of endomyocardial biopsy specimens from patients with cardiomyopathies in the presence of insulin-independent diabetes mellitus and ultrathin sections has indicated that in addition to hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes (CMCs), interstitial sclerosis, interstitial adipose tissue, and impairments in the microcirculatory bed, the myocardium exhibits interstitial sclerosis with uncoupled CMCs with a lower diameter and degenerative changes. The uncoupled CMCs display the signs of "hibernation", dedifferentiation and atopic degeneration; the neurotransmitters are also prone to apoptosis. It is suggested that these changes may serve as factors of progressive diabetic cardiomyopathy.