Cellular oncogene expression in the idiopathic cardiomyopathic hamster heart during the growing process.

The expression of various proto-oncogenes was evaluated in the Syrian hamster with hereditary idiopathic cardiomyopathy. mRNA from the heart and aorta of controls (BIO-RB) and cardiomyopathic hamsters (UM-X7.1 strain, BIO 14.6 line) was tested using RNA hybridization techniques. Of the 19 different v-oncogene probes used in the study, only the v-myc probe revealed a substantially greater expression of oncogene in the 30th day of cardiomyopathic hamster heart than in control hamster heart. The amplified expression of c-myc was also observed in the heart of 1-year-old, but not of 7-day-old cardiomyopathic hamster. Overexpression of c-myc, otherwise associated with the regulation of cell differentiation or rapid growth, may relate to the pathological state or pathogenesis of the hereditary cardiomyopathy.