Summary
The quantitative imaging of lithium distribution, in histological sections of 15-days old mouse embryos (whose mother had been submitted to Li-treatment), was performed using6Li isotope as tracer,6Li(n,α)3H nuclear reaction for detection, and dielectric track detectors. Despite the particular difficulties of cryosectioning the embryos without disturbing the lithium distribution, the Li regionalization appeared to be very clear-cut. The ectomesodermic tissues were significantly more loaded with lithium than the endodermic ones. This is probably related to the ectomesodermic tissues being also those most sensitive to the teratogenic effect of lithium. The Li-distribution in the embryo brain was almost homogeneous, instead of being heterogeneous as in adult brain. The mean Li-concentration in the embryo brain was not much below the Li concentration in the grey matter of the mother brain, but it was significantly larger than that in the white matter of the mother brain. Our results are discussed in the context of teratogenic effects observed in situ during mammalian development.
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Wissocq, JC., Heurteaux, C., Hennequin, E. et al. Microlocating lithium in the mouse embryo by use of a (n, α) nuclear reaction. Wilhelm Roux' Archiv 194, 433–435 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848558
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848558