Alternation Of Immunofunction In Rats With Portal Hypertension Due To Cirrhosis After Splenectomy

【Objective】 This study investigated the alternation of immunofunction in rats with portal hypertension (PTH) due to cirrhosis after splenectomy. It provided the theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of PTH whether the spleen should be preserved or resected. 【Methods】 One hundred and forty male purebred Wistar rats were randomly divided into fourteen groups, each one was ten and had its control group. In addition half of them were cirrhosis made by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Two Groups were not undertaken surgery to get the control blood parameter. Six groups underwent sham operation in contrast with that six groups underwent total splenectomy. The blood samples were collected on the first, second and fourth week after operation. Measurements were made of RBC, WBC, PLT, Bil, AL, ALT, Tuftsin, CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 in order to evaluate the level of immunofunction after splenectomy.【Results】 It was found that the normal rats' RBC, WBC, Bil, AL and ALT did not statistically altered(P>0.05) in contrast with that of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 and tuftsin decreasing (P<0.01) and PLT increasing (P<0.01) after splenectony.Compared with the normal rats, the cirrhosis rats decreased in WBC, RBC and AL, increased in Bil and ALT, but had no different in tuftsin. After splenectomy their level of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8, tuftsin, RBC and AL decreased (P<0.01), WBC and PLT increased (P<0.01), however, their Bil and ALT didn't obviously changed (P>0.05).【Conclusions】Our observations confirm that the immuno- function decreases in normal rats after splenectomy. The immunofunction decreases in the PTH rats whose spleen still have function. The immunofunction of PTH rats decreases more significantly than that of the normal rats after splenectomy. These findings indicate that either in the normal or in the cirrhosis rats the spleen works functionally and should be preserved as far as possible according to its actual situation.