The effects of colostrum and constituents/factors in colostrum which may influence intestinal macromolecular transmission in the newborn preclosure pig were investigated. Unsuckled piglets were given, by use of a stomach tube, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled dextran 70,000 (FITC-D) as markers together with colostrum or the factors under study. The serum levels of BSA and FITC-D 4 h after feeding were then determined as a measure of the transfer. It was found that the two colostrums tested, bovine and especially porcine, markedly enhanced the transmission of both BSA and FITC-D. Furthermore, increasing amounts of the model proteins, BSA and bovine IgG (50-200 mg/ml), significantly increased the transfer of FITC-D, whereas unlabelled dextran 70,000 given in similar amounts did not. Proteinase inhibitors obtained from sow colostrum or soy bean also enhanced the transmission of both BSA and FITC-D while the inactive inhibitors, given as trypsin-inhibitor complexes, had no effect. On the other hand, addition of a proteinase, porcine trypsin, significantly decreased the transmission of FITC-D. These findings indicate that the intestinal transmission of macromolecules in the preclosure piglet is governed by the amount of protein available in the intestine. Therefore, feeding colostrum with a high protein content and proteinase inhibitors is likely to favour efficient intestinal transmission, although other colostrum factors may also be of importance.