Abstract
Summary
Four lines of evidence are presented suggesting that rat and human bile may contain intrinsic factor: 1. Human, and to a lesser extent rat, bile enhances Co60-B12 uptake by rat liver homogenate. 2. Some rat bile specimens enhance Co60-B12 uptake by everted sacs of rat small intestine. 3. Some rat bile specimens appear to substitute for rat intrinsic factor in a gastrectomized rat. 4. In Ouchterlony agar double diffusion analysis a reaction of identity was formed by human bile and intrinsic factor concentrates from hog, rat, and human sources to antibody induced by injection of purified hog intrinsic factor concentrate. If these findings in fact indicate that bile contains intrinsic factor, it is possible that an enterohepatic circulation of intrinsic factor exists as a further phase of its activity with relation to Vit. B12.
The authors are indebted to Rebecca Fisher, Barbara Bean, and Laurie Dancy for technical assistance; to Drs. Jack Remington and Matthew D. Scharff for advice on immunologic technique; and to Dr. Shu Chu Shen who performed the rat gastrectomy.
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