Binding Protein for Vitamin D and Its Metabolites in Rat Mesenteric Lymph

A protein with high affinity for vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in rat mesenteric lymph has been studied. Mesenteric lymph was collected after duodenal instillation of radiolabeled vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. As previously described, approximately 10% of vitamin D3 (S. Dueland, J.I. Pedersen, P. Helgerud, and C.A. Drevon, J. Biol. Chem. 257: 146-150, 1982) and 95% of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (S. Dueland, J.I. Pedersen, P. Helgerud, and C.A. Drevon, Am. J. Physiol. 245 (Endocrinol. Metab. 8): E463-E467, 1983) recovered in mesenteric lymph were associated with the alpha-globulin fractions. The radioactive vitamin D3 recovered in the lymph fraction with d greater than 1.006 (free of chylomicrons) coeluted with purified rat serum binding protein for vitamin D and its metabolites (DBP) from an antirat DBP column. The results obtained by immunoblotting after sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that this protein in mesenteric lymph had molecular weight and immunological properties identical with purified serum DBP. Purified serum DBP labeled with 125I was injected intravenously and mesenteric lymph was collected. in lymph, suggesting that DBP may be transferred from blood to mesenteric lymph and that plasma and lymph DBP may have a similar origin.