title: Effect of thyroparathyroidectomy and of a low calcium diet on the cardiomyopathy of the Syrian hamster.
abstract: Experimental Ca deficiency in the cardiomyopathic Syrian hamster was found to be effective in reducing the incidence and the severity of the heart lesions that develop at 30 days of age. The skeletal muscle changes that develop at a much earlier period were influenced in their course but not in their frequency. It was further observed that 20-day-old animals benefit better from a low Ca intake at a time when the degenerative changes do not prevail in the myocardium. Removal of the parathyroids in normally fed myopathic hamsters had no effect on the serum calcium and phosphate levels or on the course of the disease. The serum creatine phosphokinase was found to be higher in Ca-deficient myopathic hamsters. The possible role of calcium concerning the maintenance of the integrity of the muscle cells is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D002118:Calcium