HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Allan Walker, W. Articles by Bloch, K. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Allan Walker, W. Articles by Bloch, K. J.

Intestinal Uptake of Macromolecules

V. Comparison of the in Vitro Uptake by Rat Small Intestine of Antigen-Antibody Complexes Prepared in Antibody or Antigen Excess¹

Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Pediatric Gastrointestinal, Clinical Immunology and Arthritis Units of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Abstract

The in vitro absorption by rat jejunal and ileal gut sacs of soluble antigen-antibody complexes and of antigen alone was compared. Complexes prepared in 2-fold antibody excess were absorbed in significantly smaller quantities than was antigen alone. Complexes prepared in 50-fold antigen excess were absorbed by jejunal gut sacs in quantities equivalent to that of antigen alone, whereas the absorption of such complexes by ileal sacs was somewhat decreased compared to that of antigen. There was less radiolabeled antigen tightly bound to the intestinal mucosa of gut sacs exposed to complexes prepared in antigen or antibody excess compared to antigen alone. Complexes prepared in antibody excess appeared to stimulate secretion of mucus and complexes were associated with the mucus fraction. It was suggested that the large size of complexes prepared in antibody excess may result in their trapping in the mucus coat of the gut, thereby preventing contact with the surface of the enterocyte from whence uptake by pinocytosis is initiated. In addition, complexes appear to be shed from the surface with mucus by a mechanism still to be elucidated.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported by Grants AM-16269, AM-5067, AM-3564, and AI-10129 from the National Institutes of Health, Contract DADA-17-70-C-0113 from the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command, and grants from the Massachusetts Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and L. H. Bendit Foundation.

² W. A. Walker is a recipient of Research Academic Career Development Award 1-KO4-AM00025 from the National Institutes of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases.

³ Address reprint request to: W. Allan Walker, M.D., Pediatric Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Okamoto, H. Furuoka, M. Horiuchi, T. Noguchi, K. Hagiwara, Y. Muramatsu, K. Tomonaga, M. Tsuji, C. Ishihara, K. Ikuta, et al. Experimental Transmission of Abnormal Prion Protein (PrPsc) in the Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells of Neonatal Mice Vet. Pathol., November 1, 2003; 40(6): 723 - 727. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Abrahamson, A Powers, and R Rodewald Intestinal absorption of immune complexes by neonatal rats: a route of antigen transfer from mother to young Science, November 2, 1979; 206(4418): 567 - 569. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W. Walker, M Wu, and K. Bloch Stimulation by immune complexes of mucus release from goblet cells of the rat small intestine Science, July 22, 1977; 197(4301): 370 - 372. [Abstract] [PDF]