Figure 9.
Detection of hGH in the bloodstream of SCID mice grafted with a patch of K14–hGH tailskin. The tailskins of 2-month-old K14–hGH transgenic mice were removed and grafted in 1–2 cm2 segments onto the backs of six recipient immunodeficient SCID mice. Animals were allowed to recover for 1–2 weeks, after which time blood was analyzed by RIA for hGH. To collect sufficient blood at 1-week intervals, samples from two animals were often combined for the assay, yielding three measurements from each week. The variation in levels are indicated by the vertical bars. To date, animals have been monitored for 14 weeks after the graft. After an initial recovery period after grafting, the concentrations of serum hGH were consistently within the range of 0.1–0.4 ng/ml.