Abstract
Many of the present concepts in lymphocyte physiology were established using experimental protocols involving surgery in cortico-sensitive rodents. In the present report we demonstrate that commonly used operative procedures in mice result in a depletion of 50-90% of cells from primary or secondary lymphoid organs 24 to 48 h post- surgery. Adrenalectomy, by itself, induces considerable depletion, and does not abolish the effects of stress in lymphocyte populations. These findings indicate that questions concerning the dynamics of production renewal rate and life-span of lymphocytes cannot be investigated by approaches involving surgery in the mouse.