The absorption of 125I-labelled immunoglobulin G by different regions of the gut in young rats.

1. (125)I-labelled homologous IgG was injected into different regions of the small intestine of rats aged 12, 16, 18, 20 and 22 days. At 12 days the proximal and middle regions of the intestine readily absorbed globulin and transmitted it to the circulation. The distal region of the intestine transmitted little to the circulation at all ages tested.2. The intestine loses its ability to transmit globulin to the circulation in a distal-proximal direction. At 16 and 18 days the ability of the middle region had declined significantly, and this decline continued so that little globulin was transmitted from this region at 20 and 22 days.3. The proximal intestine retained the ability to transmit globulin to the circulation in significant amounts up to 20 days.4. There is a close negative correlation between body weight and total radioactivity of the sera of rats which had received doses of labelled globulin into the proximal and middle regions of the intestine. There was no such correlation after injection into the distal intestine - suggesting a restricted throughput of radioactive material by the absorptive cells of this region.5. These results are discussed in the context of the termination of antibody absorption, and in relation to the results obtained using polyvinyl pyrrolidone.