Autoradiographic Investigation of Incorporation of H 3 -Thymidine into Cells of the Rat and Mouse

Abstract

The application of H³-thymidine results in labeling of those nuclei of cells in which deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is synthesized during the interval between application and the sacrifice of tne animal (1-3). This paper reports autoradiographic investigation with H³-thymidine of rats and mice. This method permits a more exact statement of the number of dividing cells than does the microscopic estimate of mitosis. The latter method is practically impossible in tissues with small fusiform cells. Moreover, it is possible to obtain information about the relative time of DNA synthesis in different cells.