Cardiomyopathic hamsters, CHF 146 and CHF 147: a preliminary study.

The time course and characteristics of lesion development in both cardiac and skeletal muscle from two strains of cardiomyopathic hamsters (CHF 146 and CHF 147) were studied by histological methods. The chronology of lesion development and the histological characteristics of the lesions were similar in both strains. However, increased calcification of cardiac lesions was present in the hearts of CHF 147 animals. This may account for the difference in lifespan between the CHF 147 (350 days) and the CHF 146 (440 days).