Abstract Purpose: Comparing survival rates of rats subjected to spleen procedures after fecal peritonitis induction. Assessing changes in TCD4 and CD8 lymphocyte rates before and after the procedures. Correlating animal survival with CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were distributed into 3 groups of ten: spleen manipulation (SM); total splenectomy (TS); subtotal splenectomy with preservation of the inferior pole (IP). Rats were subjected to surgical procedure depending on the group. Seven days after surgery they underwent induction of peritonitis and survival time was recorded. All animals were subjected to two blood collections: before surgery and 70 days after it for TCD4/TCD8 lymphocyte counting. Results: Mean survival time was longer in the IP and SM groups and shorter in the TS group; there was significant difference between them. The comparison of the median number of CD4 did not present changes, whereas the comparison of the median number of CD8 decreased in the SM and IP groups. The correlation between the median number of TCD4 and TCD8 lymphocytes and the animals’ survival was not significant. Conclusion: The maintenance of splenic tissue contributed to increase the survival of rats and there was a change in the number of TCD8 lymphocytes.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether there are differences between the phagocytic function of the remaining lower spleen pole after subtotal splenectomy and autogenous splenic implants. METHODS: Thirty-six male Wistar rats, weighting 364 ± 60g were used. They were subjected to subtotal splenectomy preserving the lower spleen pole and to autogenous splenic implant in the greater omentum. Its viability was assessed microscopically. Phagocytic function was assessed by splenic uptake of the radioisotope-labeled colloid and by macrophages counting. RESULTS: The viability of the autogenous splenic implant and of the lower spleen pole was found in 33 animals, with no difference between them. The weight of the implants was higher than the lower pole of animals from groups G1, G7, G30, G60 and G120. The implants phagocytic function by radioisotope uptake was higher than the lower pole in G7 and G120 groups and it did not differ from the other groups. The number of macrophages was higher in G1, G60, G90 and G120 and did not differ from the other groups. CONCLUSION: Until the 16th week, the phagocytic function was more pronounced in autogenous splenic implants when compared with the lower spleen pole, but it became similar thereafter.