Elastic lamina growth during development and the ultimate stability of elastin in the mouse aortic media was investigated by light and electron microscopic radioautography. Following a single subcutaneous injection of L-[3,4-3H]valine at 3 days of age, animals were killed at 9 subsequent time intervals up to 4 months of age. One day after injection, radioautographic silver grains were primarily observed over the elastic laminae; however, silver grains were also seen over the smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix. By 21 to 28 days of age, the silver grains were almost exclusively located over the elastic laminae. From 28 days to 4 months of age, the distribution of silver grains appeared relatively unchanged. Quantitation of silver grain number/micron2 of elastin showed a steady decrease in the concentration of silver grains associated with the elastic laminae from 4 to 21 days of age. After this time, no significant difference in silver grain concentration was observed. Since the initial decrease in grains/micron2 of elastin corresponds to a period of rapid post-natal growth, the decrease is likely to be a result of dilution of the radiolabel due to new elastin synthesis. With the assumption that little or no significant turnover occurs during this time, a constant growth rate of 4.3% per day was predicted by linear regression analysis. Since no significant difference in the concentration of silver grains was observed from 28 to 118 days of age, no new growth or turnover of elastin can be said to occur during this time period. This is supported by the observation that animals injected with radiolabeled valine at 28 days and 8 months of age showed no significant incorporation of radiolabel into the elastic laminae. The results from this study present the first long-term radioautographic evidence of the stability of aortic elastin and emphasize that initial deposition of elastin and proper assembly of elastic laminae is a critical event in vessel development.