DISTRIBUTION OF N-ACETYL [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-¹⁴C] NEURAMINIC ACID IN MICE STUDIED BY WHOLE-BODY AUTORADIOGRAPHY

Abstract

The distribution of N-acetyl [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-¹⁴C] neuraminic acid ([¹⁴C]-NeuNAc) was investigated by whole-body autoradiography. At 5min after intravenous injection of [¹⁴C] NeuNAc, high radioactivity was found in certain tissues and organs such as the blood, kidney, urine, bulbourethral gland, skin, and connective tissues. However, the radioactivities of all tissues and organs showed an abrupt decrease during the first 30min, and after 3hr, only the urine, kidney and distal portion of the small intestine had any traces of radioactivity. These autoradiography provide the first evidence that exogenously administered [¹⁴C] NeuNAc is taken up highly by the bulbourethral gland and that there are certain differences in intensity of radioactivity within or among the organs.