Spontaneous alterations in the pancreas of the aging Syrian golden hamster.

The systematic histologic examination of the pancreas of aging Syrian golden hamsters revealed distinct alterations that affected the exocrine, endocrine, and supporting tissues. Some of these lesions showed a significant relationship to age and/or sex of the animal. Specific alterations that affected the ductules and islets represented a characteristic, probably genetically linked, process of the hamster pancreas and may have been the decisive factors for the unique carcinogenic response of this species to specific carcinogens.