Objective    To investigate ultrastructure and apoptotic rate of fetal cardiac myocytes of rabbits with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP)and the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the myocardial tissues.     Methods    Sixteen pregnant rabbits were randomly divided into control group and ICP group. Rabbits in ICP group were subcutaneously injected with benzestrofol at a dose of 0.1 mg·kg

-1

·d

-1

and control group with 0.9% saline solution from the 22nd gestation day to delivery day. The levels of ATP

SOD and MDA in myocardial tissues of ICP rabbit fetuses and control fetuses were

determined. Ultrastructure and number of apoptosis cells were observed.     Results    Compared with controls

the levels of ATP and SOD in ICP rabbit fetuses’ cardiac myocytes significantly decreased (P0.05)

while the levels of MDA and the number of apoptosis cells in ICP rabbit fetuses’ cardiac myocytes significantly increased. Slight swelling

vacuolation and myelinoclasis in mitochondria

and decreased glycogen granules in cytoplasm were observed in ICP rabbit fetuses’ cardiac myocytes under electron microscope. However

these ultrastructural alteration was not observed in controls.     Conclusion    The damage of cardiac myocytes does exist in fetuses of rabbits with ICP.