[Effects of spleen on inducing portal hypertension and liver cirrhosis in rats].

The role of spleen on inducing the portal hypertension and cirrhotic rat by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and ethyl alcohol was studied. Totally 412 male rats were divided randomly into four groups: group A (n = 42) underwent splenectomy before induction by CCl4; group B (n = 42) underwent splenectomy after induction by CCl4 and alcohol of 4 weeks; group C (n = 42) received sham-splenectomy and group D (n = 14) served as a control group. Free portal pressure (FPP), function of liver, the index of spleen (weight of spleen/weight of body) as well as the spleen and liver biopsy were evaluated at different time. The results showed that, in group C, the index of spleen and the area of splenic white pulp had significant increase. The degree of hepatic damage, the number of the infiltrating cells and the degree of hepatic fibrosis were significantly greater in sham-operated animals than in others (group A and B). These results suggested that the spleen should be an immunomodulatic organ in playing an exacerbation role of hepatic cirrhosis, and the effect of splenectomy be a preventive role against the induced rat liver cirrhosis, at least, at certain stage.