ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to describe the development and use of autoradiography in the laboratory. Imaging plates allow similar intensity autoradiograms to be acquired in a fraction of the time needed for film. Films are placed on a light box and either analyses using an optical density light pen device or the autoradiogram image is captured using a charge-coupled device camera, digitized, and then analyzed by computer image analysis software. The resolution issue aside, radioluminography has many other advantages over film autoradiography. Quantitative whole-body autoradiography (QWBA) is one such powerful analytical tool, the QWBA technique has become the preferred research instrument for studying such distribution. The QWBA technique relies on the preparation of images showing the distribution of radioactivity in the whole animal, followed by accurate measurement using computer-based image analysis techniques. Not only can relevant tissues be selected for measurement by this technique, but the distribution of drug-related material can be studied at the sub-organ level.
