Analysis of elemental absorption and excretion in mice bearing malignant ascites.

Feces, kidney, and small intestine were sampled from the mice bearing malignant ascites at different stages of tumor growth to investigate the kinetics of elemental distribution in the body. The contents of 14 elements in samples were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The elements Br, Cl, Cu, Na, Se, and Zn increased, whereas Mn and Rb decreased in kidney with the growth of the tumor. The elements Cl, Na, and Fe, however, appeared to have significantly different behavior in the small intestine.