Whole-body autoradiography of bumetanide-14C in dogs by round saw method.--A combined method of autoradiography and tissue radioassay--.

The distribution of a new potent diuretic, Bumetanide, in dogs was studied by means of a combined method of whole-body autoradiography and tissue radioassay, after oral administration of Bumetanide-14C to five young beagle dogs (ca. 1.2 kg). A round saw method developed by Kalberer was applied to obtain frozen slices of dog whole-body with a thickness of 3 mm. After exposure to X-ray films from both sides of the slices at -60 degrees C, frozen samples of the main tissues as well as the blood, urine, bile and intestinal contents were obtained to be assayed for radioactivity and to be analyzed for metabolites by TLC. The advantages of the round saw method (thick slices) in larger animals as dogs and monkeys as compared to the conventional microtome method (thin sections) were pointed out and discussed.