THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL SPLENIC AUTOTRANSPLANTATION AND IMIPENEM-CILASTATIN TREATMENT IN POSTSPLENECTOMY PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA SEPSIS

Male Wistar albino rats were allocated to three groups - sham operated (n: 10), splenectomized (n: 20) and splenic autotransplanted (n: 10). Twelve weeks after operation, all were challenged with 1.8 x 10(8) cf u/ml Pseudomonas aeruginosa intranasally. Half of the splenectomized r ats received imipenem-cilastatin after 2 h of bacterial challenge. Mor tality was then observed for the next 12 days. All animals were autops ied and liver, kidney, spleen and lung specimens were processed for mi crobiological culture and histopathological examination. In 80% of aut otransplanted rats, splenic tissue regeneration was histopathologicall y verified. Hemoglobin oxidation of erythrocytes increased in splenect omized rats and remained close to control levels in the autotransplant ed group. No significant difference was detected between IgM levels of splenectomized and autotransplanted groups. Mortality rates were the same for all groups, except that splenectomized animals given antimicr obial therapy had increased survival rates. In conclusion, it is likel y that the spleen has no role in protection against pulmonary sepsis a nd that only appropriate antimicrobial therapy can protect the splenec tomized host from Pseudomonas sepsis.