On methods of silver grain counting in histoautoradiograms

Visual silver grain counting in histoautoradiograms is a slow and tedious procedure. In this study different methods of automation of grain counting, possibilities of use as well as their advantages and disadvantages are critically compared. By means of autoradiograms of 3H-phenylalanine-labelled rat liver specimens the possibilities of automated image analyses are demonstrated. The use of these techniques enables rapid counting of silver grain densities over cell nuclei and cytoplasm.