The effect of site and technique of splenic tissue reimplantation on pneumococcal clearance from the blood.

The technique and site of reimplantation of splenic tissue influences survival of laboratory animals following intravenous injection of pneumococci. Splenic tissue was prepared by slicing, mincing, or grating the spleen. The tissue was placed subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, retroperitoneally, or in an omental pouch. This study was designed to determine the rate of pneumococcal clearance from the blood stream 16 weeks following splenic reimplantation by four different methods. All animals were challenged with an intravenous 1 mL bolus containing 10(7) bacteria. The New Zealand white rabbits were divided into six groups: intact spleen; splenectomized; spleen slices in an omental pouch; minced spleen in an omental pouch; splenic tissue implanted subcutaneously; and bits of spleen dropped into the peritoneal cavity. Animals with an intact spleen and those with spleen slices implanted into an omental pouch cleared bacteria during the first hour and all bacteria had disappeared at three hours. Bacteremia persisted longer than three hours in the other groups. Splenic tissue had regenerated in all animals with omental pouch implants, in four of six with minced spleen dropped into the peritoneal cavity but in only one with a subcutaneous implant. Reimplanted splenic tissue clears pneumococci from the blood stream best when thin slices of spleen are placed in an omental pouch. This technique also assures successful regeneration of splenic tissue.