REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTION FOLLOWING RESUSCITATED HEMORRHAGIC-SHOCK

Although it is well known that hemorrhagic shock causes immunosuppress ion, there have been few attempts to define these changes in the vario us immune compartments. Accordingly, male rats were bled into severe h emorrhagic shock for 60 minutes (mean arterial pressure 35 +/- 5 mm Hg ). Twenty-four hours following resuscitation, splenic, mesenteric, and peripheral lymphocytes were harvested for cell population analysis an d mitogen stimulation assays. Cell marker analysis revealed no changes in B-cell or T-cell subpopulations in any immune compartment after sh ock. The splenic and peripheral lymphocytes showed marked depression o f mitogen-induced stimulation after shock. In contrast, mesenteric lym phocyte responses to both T-cell and B-cell mitogens were not depresse d after shock. Regional variability in mitogen responses after shock o ccur without change in B-cell or T-cell subpopulations in any immune c ompartment tested. The mechanism or mechanisms involved warrant furthe r investigation.