An attempt to affect the selective absorption of antibodies from the gut in young mice

In young mice, antibodies from immune sera in the gut pass readily into the circulation. This process is selective in that the amount of antibody reaching the circulation depends on the species of origin of the immune serum. The relative ease of entry of some antibodies are rabbit 1, guinea-pig 2.4, and mouse 4.5. The ability to absorb antibodies from the gut decreases sharply at 15 to 17 days, although the amount of homologous iodinated γ-globulin absorbed at 20 days is quite appreciable. Ingestion of the ∊-toxin of Clostridium welchii was without demonstrable effect on the selective absorption of antibodies from the gut of young mice.