Rat alpha 1-acid glycoprotein: uptake by inflammatory and tumour tissues.

The tissue distribution of intravenously administered 125 I-alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and 125I-albumin was studied in rats with inflammatory granuloma or transplanted sarcoma. The marked concentration of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in extra-vascular spaces of the granuloma or sarcoma tissue was observed, most of which remained in a trichloroacetic-acid-precipitable form throughout the experiments. Albeit less marked, albumin also preferentially accumulated in both pathological tissues and presented essentially the same distribution pattern as alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in intact organs except kidney in both morbid states. The results suggest that serum alpha 1-acid glycoprotein might play an important role in inflammatory or cell proliferative processes in situ. The studies on trichloroacetic acid fractionation also indicate indicat a selective involvement of the kidney in the catabolic processes of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein as compared to that of albumin.