[Double tracer autoradiography of bone tumor using 3H-thymidine and radionuclides for diagnostic purpose]

Whole body distribution and accumulation of radionuclide for diagnostic purpose such as 99mTc-MDP (methylene diphosphonate), 67Ga-citrate (67Ga) and 201Tl-chloride (201Tl) in implanted osteosarcoma of human origin were evaluated by macroautoradiography of Balb/c nude mouse. 3H-thymidine of which uptake has a close relation to growth pattern of tumors was used for a partner of target nuclide in double tracer technique to examine the distribution characteristics. Separated distribution pattern of coupled nuclides was imaged by a difference both of half life and energy of radiation between radionuclides. The distribution pattern of each target nuclide and 3H-thymidine were compared to clarify distribution characteristics respectively in specimen. 67Ga and 201Tl were taken around the tumor and the mode of their distribution was identical to that of 3H-thymidine. Uptake of 67Ga in tumor was much higher. 99mTc-MDP accumulated in the central zone of the tumor and its pattern was quite different from that of 3H-thymidine. From above result it was demonstrated that the accumulation mechanism of 67Ga, 201Tl and 99mTc-MDP are quite different in the tumor each other. So we concluded that our method of double tracer technique was useful for evaluation of distribution pattern of radionuclides for diagnostic purpose.