Abstract
High serum levels of estrogen result in clinically detectable hyperbilirubinemia in two closely related Cricetulus hamsters, the Armenian hamster (Cricetulus migratorius) and the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus). In previous studies, hepatic tumors developed in most Armenian hamsters after chronic estrogen treatment, but in the present study, we found that the livers of Chinese hamsters were remarkably free of neoplastic change under similar conditions. Also, when compared with the responses in the Armenian hamsters, signs of hepatic destruction and regeneration were less prevalent in estrogen-treated Chinese hamsters and the bilirubin levels were lower and of shorter duration. In contrast to the findings in Armenian hamsters, bile canaliculi were severely affected in livers of estrogen-treated Chinese hamsters, and hepatic microvesicular steatosis, indicative of an unusual lipodystrophy caused by estrogen, was prominent. An additional lesion peculiar to the Chinese hamster was a striking sinusoidal dilatation. Although these two hamster species are genetically similar, the genes activated by estrogen receptor show remarkable heterogeneity when their respective livers are examined. Comparisons within these species may provide information about specific gene activation responsible for particular pathologic events.
Published Version
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