IN VITRO AND IN VIVO LABELLING OF ANIMAL TUMOURS WITH TRITIATED THYMIDINE

The labelling indices obtained by incubating tumour specimens with tritiated thymidine in vitro under hyperbaric oxygen have been compared with those obtained by labelling a matched tumour in vivo. The correspondence between these individual labelling indices is sometimes very poor; however, the average labelling index derived from groups of tumours labelled in the two ways does not differ significantly. There was a large variation from field to field within any tumour, and considerable variation from one tumour to another within each tumour type. The mitotic index was also compared in the matched tumour preparations; the mitotic index in vitro was almost always considerably lower than the values observed in vivo.