Myocardial uptake of thallous ion in animals.

The details of the metabolism of thallium are still unknown. The former hypothesis that 201thallium as used for myocardial imaging follows a potassium-like metabolism was called in question after animal experiments with rats and guinea-pigs. A critical review basing on these results and the results of patients' assessments and electro- and quantum-chemical experiments and calculations shows that the mode of the uptake of thallium into myocardial tissue is not in accordance with the uptake of potassium into living tissue.