抄録
The immunoglobulin contents and antibody activities were measured in the serum and intestinal tracts of germfree mice after an oral immunization with live vibrio organisms, and, further, the relationship between so-called coproantibody and immunoglobulins in the intestinal tracts of them was studied. All three classes of immunoglobulins, IgG, IgM and IgA, were not detected in the intestinal tracts of untreated germfree mice, but some amounts of IgG and IgM were observed in the serum. After the immunization, predominant response of IgG stood out in the serum of them, and IgA was the only immunoglobulin detected in the intestinal tracts. Agglutinin activities in the intestinal tracts appeared earlier than that in the serum. Complement-dependent anti-bacterial antibodies were found in the serum from an early stage after the immunization, but never in the intestinal tracts. In the separate pattern of the intestinal contents by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and DEAE cellulose chromatography, so-called coproantibody was always found in association with IgA. Absorption of the intestinal contents with intact vibrio organisms brought on a parallel decrease of their activities between IgA and coproantibody in the sample. Furthermore, a concentration of IgA through Sephadex G-200 gel filtration resulted in an elevated activity of coproantibody in the sample. These results suggest that socalled coproantibody against vibrio is an antibody mainly belonging to IgA class.
