The choice of an appropriate species and strain of laboratory animals is one of the scientist's major concerns. The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) provides a unique tool for studying hepatobiliary and pancreatic carcinomas because the anatomical structure of its hepatobiliary and pancreatic duct system is similar to that of humans. Moreover, the tumors induced in the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas of hamsters with nitrosamines closely resemble those of humans. Biochemically, hamster bile is unsaturated under normal conditions and the bile acid composition is similar to human bile [1–4]. Pancreatic juice components in this species also resemble those of humans [5,6]. Therefore, the Syrian hamster may be an ideal animal model for investigating carcinogenic mechanisms in hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors.
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Tajima, Y. (2009). The Syrian Hamster as an Experimental Animal. In: Tajima, Y., Kuroki, T., Kanematsu, T. (eds) Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Carcinogenesis in the Hamster. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-87773-8_1
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