The sulfate uptake and accumulation in mouse digestive organs were studied
by light microscopic radioautography. Two litters of normal ddY mice 30 day
s after birth, each consisting of 3 animals, were studied. One litter of an
imals were sacrificed 30 min after the intraperitoneal injections with phos
phate buffered (Na2SO4)-S-35, and the other litter animals were sacrificed
12 hr after the injections. Then several digestive organs, the parotid glan
d, the submandibular gland, the sublingual gland, antrum and fundus of the
stomach, the duodenum, the jejunum, the ileum, the caecum, the ascending co
lon and the descending colon were taken out. The tissues were fixed, dehydr
ated, embedded in epoxy resin, sectioned, picked up onto glass slides, coat
ed with radioautographic emulsion by a dipping method. After the exposure,
they were developed, stained with toluidine blue and analyzed by light micr
oscopy.
As the results, many silver grains were observed on serous cells of the sal
ivary glands, mucosa and submucosa of the stomach, villous cells and crypt
cells of the small intestines and whole mucosa of the large intestines at 3
0 min after the injection. Then at 12 hr after the injection silver grains
were observed on mucous cells of the salivary glands, some of the stomach g
lands, and mucigen granules of goblet cells in the small intestines and the
large intestines. The numbers of silver grains observed in respective orga
ns at 30 min were less than those at 12 hr.
From these results, it is concluded that glycoprotein synthesis was demonst
rated in several digestive organs by radiosulfate incorporation. In the sal
ivary glands the silver grains were more observed in serous cells at 30 min
, while in mucous cells more at 12 hr than 30 min after the injection. In o
ther organs the silver grains were more at 30 min than at 12 hr. These resu
lts show the time difference of glycoprotein synthesis in respective organs
.