Abstract
The fate of Edwardsiella tarda antigens, crude lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and formalin-killed cells (FKC) which was injected intramuscularly in eel, Anguilla japonica, was investigated. Location of the antigens was observed using fluorescent antibody technique. After injection, crude LPS was detected in the liver, kidney and spleen at 30 min and 1 h, in the heart and liver at 3 and 6 h, but not detected in any tissues at 12 h. FKC were detected in the gill, liver and kidney at 30 min, in the gill, stomach, intestine, liver and kidney at 1 h, in the intestine, heart, liver, kidney and spleen at 3 h, in the liver, kidney and spleen at 6 h, and in the kidney at 12 h. FKC disappeared from all tissues except the kidney until 12 h. Intracellular specific fluorescence was observed in the cells of the heart and liver of both fish groups injected with crude LPS or FKC. These findings suggest that after injection, the antigens are rapidly accumulated mainly in the liver and kidney, then decomposed or excluded.
