Effect of Splenectomy and Hemisplenectomy on Pneumococcal Infection and Bacteria Clearance in the Rat

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Abstract
Median survival times 1 month after intraperitoneal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae Felton UC 41 show that the difference between hemisplenectomized and control rats is not at all significant (χ2 = 0.04). On the other hand, comparing splenectomized rats with hemisplenectomized and control rats taken together, there is a significant difference: 10% level (χ2 = 2.84; 1 degree of freedom; p < 0.10). The blood concentrations of pneumococci at different time intervals after inoculation do not differ between control and hemisplenectomized rats (F = 0.02; 1 and 135 degrees of freedom), but they differ very significantly when the splenectomized rats are compared with the hemisplenectomized rats and controls taken together (F = 10.00; 1 and 135 degrees of freedom; p < 0.01).