Studies on Immunological Tolerance to Soluble Proteins. I. Organ Distribution of Antigen in the Adult Mouse. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Organ localization of antigen was studied in adult mice. A small tolerance- inducing dose of radiolabeled protein was given to each animal in 4 experimental groups of mice. Radioactivity as an expression of organ distribution of the HGG-I¹³¹ was determined at 4, 8, 24, and 48 hours following HGG-I¹³¹ administration. Blood, bone, brain, lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, lung and adrenal gland were assayed. A shortage of localization of antigen was found in the lymphoid tissues of tolerant and previously untreated mice. The liver was found to be the organ with the single highest radioactivity in all groups. Lymph nodes showed the highest activity per gram of organ weight. This was primarily significant for sensitized mice. The pattern of antigen distribution in the tolerant animals was interpreted as a failure, early in the immune response, to recognize the foreign material as non-self.