THE DISTRIBUTION OF IRON INJECTED INTRAPERITONEALLY. EVIDENCE OF SEROSAL “ABSORPTION” BY THE SMALL INTESTINE

Abstract

Methods for extraction of ferritin have been modified to permit crystals to be obtained from 500 mg of tissue, or less. Rough quantification was possible by counting the crystals in a standard volume. In normal young rats crystalline ferritin was obtained only from the liver. Three days following intraperitoneal injection of Fe-dextran, ferritin was found in the small intestine, but at ten days it was no longer there. When Fe was given intravenously it did not accumulate in the small intestine. No ferritin was found in the stomach or colon. A loop of duodenojejunal intestine was brought outside peritoneal cavity prior to intraperitoneal injection of Fe. No ferritin could be recovered from this herniated loop of gut although it was recovered from the intestine adjacent to the loop. This indicated that the iron came through the serosal surface of the gut It is concluded that the ferritin which is present in the small intestine following intraperitoneal injection of Fe-dextran is derived from Fe or Fe-dextran which penetrates the serosal surface of the intestine. His to logical studies indicate that the iron is carried into the intestinal tissues by diapedesis of iron-laden phagocytes.