Immunocytochemical detection of enhanced expression of c-myc protein in the heart of cardiomyopathic hamster.
An immunocytochemical study was performed to examine the expression of cellular c-myc protein in the heart of 30-, 120- and 180-day-old cardiomyopathic Syrian UM-X7.1 hamsters. The heart of age- and sex-matched BIO-RB hamster was used as normal control. In paraffin sections, an immunostaining for c-myc was markedly increased in cytoplasm of cells from the UM-X7.1 heart as compared with that of the BIO-RB heart which showed a weak staining. However, c-myc was localized in nuclei of cells in frozen sections of the heart. Specific cell types of the heart were differentiated with anti-vimentin, and we found that the increased expression of c-myc was present in nuclei of muscle cells of the UM-X7.1 myocardium. A quantitative study of c-myc-positive nuclei of muscle and nonmuscle cells was carried out by a video micrometer. The mean number of c-myc-positive nuclei of muscle cells was significantly higher in the cardiomyopathic heart than in the control heart from hamsters of all ages studied. These results suggest that the increase of c-myc protein may relate to the pathological state or pathogenesis of the hereditary cardiomyopathy.
Fujitani
N
N
Department of Legal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kawaguchi
N
N
Toda
S
S
Matsumura
S
S
Kimura
H
H
Onishi
S
S
D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger