Age-related incidence of spontaneous non-neoplastic lesions in a colony ofHan : AURA hamsters

In toxicologic testing or experimental studies using animals, an adequate k nowledge of spontaneously occurring lesions is required. 144 male and 184 female untreated Syrian golden hamsters (strain Han:AURA) were kept for life under standard laboratory conditions and an investigatio n of non-neoplastic lesions in relationship to the lifespan was performed. The average lifespan of the males was 106 weeks and that of the female hams ters 97 weeks. While cartilage degeneration of the sternum and fatty degene ration of the femoral bone marrow occurred already in the first half of lif e with high incidence, the majority of lesions were observed in the second half. The most frequent non-neoplastic changes in various organs were fatty change, calcification, cystic change, hyperplasia and amyloidosis. Such spontaneous lesions were discussed in connection with the same alterat ions which can also be induced by chemical or hormonal agents.