Changes in the messenger RNA population from the heart of cardiomyopathic hamsters

Messenger RNAs were extracted from the heart of cardiomyopathic hamsters at different phases of the disease and from age-matched control hamsters. They were translated into proteins in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate in the presence of [35S]methionine, the translational products were fractionated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analyzed by fluorography. No difference between cardiomyopathic and control hamsters could be detected when comparing the spots corresponding to the major contractile proteins. However, we observed that three translational products of minor abundance were reproducibly decreased in cardiomyopathic hamsters at 60 days (necrotic phase) and 200 days (final phase) but not at 30 days (prenecrotic phase). At 120 days (hypertrophic phase), the decrease could also be detected but was much less pronounced.