Effect of splenectomy and hemisplenectomy on pneumococcal infection and bacteria clearance in the rat.
Median survival times 1 month after intraperitoneal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae Felton UC 41 show that the difference between hemisplenectomized and control rats is not at all significant (chi 2 = 0.04). On the other hand, comparing splenectomized rats with hemisplenectomized and control rats taken together, there is a significant difference: 10% level (chi 2 = 2.84; 1 degree of freedom; p less than 0.10). The blood concentrations of pneumococci at different time intervals after inoculation do not differ between control and hemisplenectomized rats (F = 0.02; 1 and 135 degrees of freedom), but they differ very significantly when the splenectomized rats are compared with the hemisplenectomized rats and controls taken together (F = 10.00; 1 and 135 degrees of freedom; p less than 0.01).
D000818:Animals; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013156:Splenectomy; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000378:metabolism*