J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 95(9): 689-698, 1994

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Original article

SPLENIC AUTOTRANSPLANTION RESTORES THE IMMUNE FUNCTION OF THE SPLEEN

Splenectomy has been reported to reduce the immune function. Fischer rats were subjected to 1), splenectomy, 2) splenectomy and autotransplantation and 3) sham control, respectively and examined for the production of antibodies against heterogeneic red blood cells, natural killer (NK) activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), and the effects against tumor metastasis.
Autotransplanted spleen started to produce antibody against the intravenously injected the sheep red blood cells (SRBC) even 2 weeks after autotransplantation and produce high titer of antibody as like sham operated rats 8 weeks after the operation.
NK activity was decreased 2 weeks after splenectomy, but not after splenic autotransplantation.
Immunohistopathological examination with monoclonal antibody against rat's lymphocytes showed the similar regeneration of B cells and T cells with normal spleen.
Fischer rats which had been inoculated with FMC7 (fibrosarcoma) had their tumors resected 12 days after the inoculation and were divided into the 3 groups according to the operative procedures mentioned above and were operated on respectively. Then FMC7 were challenged intravenously or intraperitonealIy, and their survival times were examined. No significant difference was found in the groups of intraperitoneal inoculation. But in the case of intravenous challenge, averaged survival time was significantly prolonged in the group of sham operation.
These results suggested the spleen worked against intravenous antigens including even tumor cells. Heterotopic splenic autotransplantation is a method to restore some parts of the splenic immune function.

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