The recovery of injected antigens from rat spleens

Abstract

Bovine [gamma]-globulin, bovine serum albumin and rat serum albumin trace-labelled with diazotized S35 sulphanilic acid have been injected into rats and their spleens removed at various times up to 18 days after injection. The persistence of these proteins in the plasma has been followed. Bovine [gamma]-globulin has a half-life of 2.5 days, bovine serum albumin of 2.0 days and rat serum albumin of 1.9 days. Bovine [gamma] -globulin and bovine serum albumin precipitable by their homologous antibodies have been found in saline extracts of the spleen up to 7 days after injection of bovine [gamma]-globulin and up to 4 days after injection of bovine serum albumin. Some of the protein-bound S35 in the spleen has been found in the same fraction as the ribonucleic acid, in agreement with the views of Garvey and Campbell (1957). After injection of labelled anthranilylazo bovine serum albumin, saline extracts of the spleen contain protein-bound S35 but none of this is precipitable by anti-anthranilylazo bovine serum albumin. Similarly, less than 10% of anthranilyazo bovine serum albumin added in vitro to spleen homogenates is available for precipitation by antianthranilylazo bovine serum albumin. Rat serum albumin injected for comparison with the heterologous proteins has been recovered from spleen extracts in a form precipitable by its antiserum only up to 5 days after injection.