Uptake and Distribution of Rubidium‐86 and Potassium‐43 in Mice and Rats—an Autoradiographic Study

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Abstract
The uptake and distribution in mice of rubidium‐86 (86Rb) and potassium‐43 (43K) was studied using whole body autoradiographic techniques. In addition, a microautoradiographic study of the distribution of 86Rb in the heads of rats was made. The results demonstrate high relative accumulation of 86Rb in hyaline and articular cartilage, tendon, forming bone, liver, pancreas, salivary glands, thymus, spleen and skeletal muscle. At one hour post‐injection, the distribution pattern of 43SK was similar to but much less differentiated than that of 86Rb. Relatke to the accumulation of each in skeletal muscle, 86Rb was more concentrated than 43K in hyaline and articular cartilage, tendon and liver, while the converse was seen in heart muscle, lung, bone and brain. The micro‐autoradiograms demonstrated high relative uptake of 86Rb in trahecular bone and the dentin and enamel of unerupted teeth. The results of the present study have been compared to those of previously published quantitative studies on the accumulation of 86Rb and 42K, and the results were found to be in close agreement. In addition, the present results demonstrate high relative accumulation of 86Rh and 48SK in hyaline and articular cartilage, tendon and forming bone, and high 86Rb concentrations in forming teeth and foetal bone and cartilage, observations which hale not been made in earlier studies. The similarities to and differences from the results of a similar study of the uptake and distribution of caesium‐137 (137Cs) are discussed.