Analysis of Mitotic Activity of Fetal Tissues by Continuous Administration of (2-14C)Thymidine into Maternal Abdominal Aorta in Hamsters.

Abstract

To analyze mitotic activity of fetal tissues, pregnant hamsters were continuously injected with [2-14 C]thymidine through a cannula installed in the abdominal aorta. Controls received periodic injections of the same amount of the drug into the sublingual vein under anesthesia. Both the relative concentration and intensity of radioactivity in various tissues of the 12th day fetus, 3.5 h after administration, were significantly higher in the experimental group than in controls. Positive images of autoradioluminographs and of light microscopic autoradiographs in the eye, lung and liver of the experimental group were also remarkably increased when compared with controls. These results suggest that this procedure will be useful for studies on proliferating cells of fetuses.