Pregnant and non-pregnant C57 BLack mice were treated parenterally with 33-3 mg./kg. of hematoporphyrin and killed at varying intervals up to 24 hr. Tissue porphyrin concentrations were determined. Tissues which became fluorescent following porphyrin treatment did not necessarily contain large amounts of porphyrin. Harderian gland from non-pregnant animals, and skeletal muscle, brain, fetus, and amniotic fluid accumulated porphyrin poorly. Harderian gland from pregnant animals, and stomach, lung, kidney, placenta, spleen, uterus, liver, and chorion-amnion acquired porphyrin concentrations well above corresponding blood levels 6-8 hr. after injection. The ability of the tissue to acquire exogenous porphyrin appears to rank in the order listed. Two mechanisms may operate to determine the porphyrin tissue levels in relation to blood levels. There appears to be a barrier to the passage of porphyrin directly by diffusion from the uterus to the extra-embryonic membranes and placenta. Almost negligible increases of porphyrin in the amniotic fluid and fetus suggests that the placenta of the mouse was semi-permeable to the passage of exogenous porphyrin.
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