Drug excretion into eggs. An autoradiographic study

Abstract

Ullberg's whole-body autoradiographic technic has been used to illustrate the distribution pattern, the uptake in the oocytes and the excretion into the egg-white of 14C-trimethroprim, 3H-tetracycline and 14C-urea in Japanese quails. Marked differences were found in the uptake by the follicular epithelium between the oocytes of different size. Furthermore it is observed, that the part of the compound which reaches the yolk remains there, while the rest of the compound is excreted from the body. In the oviduct, the compounds showed variations in the distribution pattern between the different parts, apparently according to the passive diffusion concept. Some of the drugs showed peculiar localisation in high concentrations as in the retina and in the pecten of the quails eye.