The Incompetence of the Hamster Cheek Pouch Membrane as a Mechanical Barrier to the Movement of Tritiated E. Coli B3 and Tritiated T4 Bacteriophage

Summary Tritium labeled Escherichia coli B3 and tritium labeled T4 phage were injected into the hamster cheek pouch or hamster ear, the latter site serving as a control. Eighty per cent of the B3 and 98% of the T4 drained from the pouch within 72 hr. Comparable amounts of B3 and T4 escaped from the ear within the same period of time. These data indicate that the tissues of the cheek pouch do not act as a barrier to antigens the size of E. coli and T4 phage. The observation that the hamster produced phage specific antibodies following injections into the cheek pouch lends additional support to this view. The degree of antibody production was much lower in the cheek pouch-injected animals than in the controls. Based upon the above evidence, a theoretical explanation of the cheek pouch as a privileged site for homografts is here presented.