labeled miclei was only 0.4% but when such animals were injected with TSH, the incidence
rose to 74. Thus, with this technique it was possible to demonstrate that cpll division

in the untreated young rats was occurring at a rate almost as fast as in theladult
animals whose thyroids had been stimlated with TSH. Histologically, in theladult
animals, the thyroids were truly in a resting state. After considerable experimentation
it was found that the most desirable interval of time between the injection $f the
tritiated thymidine and the sacrifice of the animals was 4 hours. There was[no uptake
of thymidine in cells which were resting. Even in this 4 hour interval
therg
were same

instances of labeled pairs of nuclei lying in juxtaposition with approximately equal

amounts of DNA in each. This gave a general idea of the rate at which cell division
took place once the preparation for mitoses had begun. A manuscript describjng these
observations has been prepared but not published.
Dobyns , B.M., and Sanders, M.A.: A Comparison of the Effect of TSH on the
totic Activity
in the Thyroids of Young Growing Rats and Adult Rats Using Tritiated
midittle. (Manuscript
not published; later manuscripts incorporated the technique and later findidgs went far
beyond these).
Rat thyroids made hyperplastic by an iodine deficient diet display many nuclei
containing the tritiated thymidine. When in a state of iodine deficiency dodes of
0, 5, or 50 pic of
I were given to groups of rats te
ce various degreds of
radiation damage. Twenty hours after giving 5 pic of
I (av. uptake 37%; 240 day
half-life; 2640 Rads), the number of labeled nuclei were noticeably reduced.| At this

early hour the thyroids of animals given 50 pe showed an almost complete absqnce of
labeling of nuclei, indicati

that the process of mitosis had been inte

days after these doses of 1311, the administration of thiouracil caused mark

ed.

Twesrty-tc

increase

in labeling in nonirradiated controls and somewhat less labeling in the 5 uc kanimals, but

the 50 pic animals had not recovered the ability for labeling.

Recovery fran

impairment to mitosis as studied by the labeled thymidine has been of

special]

interest.

After more lengthy periods of recovery following radiation, some of the F ima
from each group were given thiouracil for 9 to 11 days and tritiated
nidine 4 hours

before sacrifice. The results after various amounts of radiation and varioug periods
of recovery are shown in Figure 9. At 2 months following the 5 pic dose of + HI there
was an excessive number of labeled nuclei when thiouracil was given. The mupber of

labeled nuclei was considerably greater than that which was produced in a

nomirradiated

animal. This seemed to be related to the previous observation that gross hypertrophy
of the gland could still be produced by thiouracil administration quite some [time after
cadiation has been delivered. At this 2 month interval in this particular aries the
5 pe animals showed a moderate increase in thyroid weight suggesting that cell division
aad actually taken place. The 50 pic animils on the other hand showed essentiBlly no
aypertrophy of the gland. Still later in the post radiation period the capadity for
2xcessive labeling could not be produced in the 5 pe group of animals. At
this time,
these thyroids did not increase appreciably in weight. Even after a longer rpcovery
period (8 months) following the
1I the extreme degrees of labeling could rpt be
sreduced with thiouracil in the 5 yc animals. These observations are illustrpted in
Tigure 9.
It was of special interest to find that the large bizarre nuclear forms , l
wreparing to divide usually become enlarged, but here the abnormally large n
vyhich presumably have not divided, were making more DNA.

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