Distribution of ?2-macroglobulin in normal, inflammatory, and tumor tissues in rats

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Distribution of uptake and catabolism of intravenously administered125l-labeled rat α2-macroglobulin(125I-α2MG) were examined in normal, inflammatory, and tumor tissues of rats. Clearance of intravenously administered [125l]α2MG from the circulation was rapid. Accumulation of this compound into inflammatory tissue was 2–3 times more extensive than in normal tissues. The accumulation into sarcoma tissue was much less. Radioactivity in TCA-PTA precipitates remained fairly constant for the first 12 h in inflammatory tissue and for the first 24 h in sarcoma. These patterns of accumulation were never observed in the normal tissues. As the kidney preferentially accumulated large amounts of [125l]α2MG in the nondegraded form and its degradation products, the tissue may play a special role in the metabolism of α2MG. Rapid clearance from the circulation and relatively small amounts of accumulation in tissues suggest that α2MG may function as a protease inhibitor, mainly in the circulation rather than in the tissues.

This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit: