Effects of splenectomy on serum lipids and experimental atherosclerosis.
The authors examined the effects of splenectomy on serum lipids in patients with hematologic disease, in rabbits, and also in cholesterol-fed rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis. Serum cholesterol was determined in patients with hypersplenism before and after splenectomy. Meanwhile serum lipids were determined in two groups of rabbits: splenectomy group (Spx group, n = 19), and sham operation group (Sham group, n = 14) before and after the operation. Then the rabbits were divided into four subgroups: cholesterol-fed groups--Spx-C (n = 12) and Sham-C (n = (9), and normal-chow-fed groups--Spx-N (n = 7) and Sham-N (n = 5). The Spx-C and the Sham-C rabbits were fed 1% cholesterol diet and the Spx-N and Sham-N rabbits were fed normal chow for twelve weeks. In patients preoperative serum cholesterol levels were low, and significant increase in serum cholesterol was observed following splenectomy. In rabbits, the Spx-C group showed significantly higher levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids in contrast to lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, as compared with the Sham-C group. The percentage of aortic plaque area in the Spx-C group tended to be higher than that in the Sham-C group. On the other hand, the Spx-N and the Sham-N group showed no difference in serum lipids during twelve weeks. The worsening of atherosclerosis in the Spx-C group was considered to be mainly due to an enhanced hyperlipidemia. Their results suggest a possible role of the spleen in lipid metabolism, in particular the existence of a splenic factor that can cause hypocholesterolemia in hyperplenism and can suppress hyperlipidemia.
Asai
K
K
Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kuzuya
M
M
Naito
M
M
Funaki
C
C
Kuzuya
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000097:blood; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic / Q000097:blood; D011817:Rabbits; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000097:blood; D013156:Splenectomy; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol