Background: Surgery-related pain and opioids might exacerbate immune defenses in immunocompromised cancer patients which might affect postoperativd overall survival. Sufentanil is a good postoperative pain control drug,the present study aimed to figure out whether it effect T cell immunity in rat hepatocellular carcinoma surgical model. Methods: A rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models was established by N-nitrosodiethylamine. Forty-eight of them were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: surgery without postoperative analgesia (Group C), surgery with morphine postoperative analgesia (Group M), surgery with sufentanil postoperative analgesia (Group S). Each animal underwent a standard left hepatolobectomy, and intraperitoneally implanted with osmotic minipumps filled with sufentanil, morphine or normal saline according to the different group. The food and water consumptions, body weight changes, locomotor activity and mechanical pain threshold (MPT) were observed. The ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + , proportions of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in blood were detected using flow cytometry. The liver function and the rats' survival situation of each group were observed. Results: The food and water consumption, locomotor activity and MPT of group C declined than those of group S and M on d1, d2, d3 (P < 0.05). The CD4 + /CD8 + ratio and the proportion of Th1 cells were significantly higher while the proportion of Th2, Th17 and Treg cells were significantly lower in group S and group M compared with group C. The rats of group S have higher CD4 + /CD8 + ratio on d3, while lower proportion of Treg cells on d7 compared with group M. The plasma ALT and AST values in group C were significantly higher than that of group S and group M on both d3 and d7. There were not significant differences in mortality rate between 3 groups.

Background: Several investigations have indicated that T helper cell 17 (Th 17 ) and Foxp 3 + regulatory T cells (Treg) cells adopt a pro-tumorigenic role. Opioids and pain exacerbate immunosuppression in immunocompromised cancer patients. Methods: A rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models was established by N-nitrosodiethylamine (DENA). 48 of them were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=16): surgery without postoperative analgesia (Control); surgery with morphine postoperative analgesia (Morphine); surgery with sufentanil postoperative analgesia (Sufentanil). The level of cluster of CD4 + , CD8 + , Th1,Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in blood were also detected to assess immune function using flow cytometry on d0, d3 and d7.The rats’ survival situation of each group left after three days of surgery were observed. Results ： The CD4 + /CD8 + ratio and Th1 cells levels were significantly higher while Th2, Th17 and Treg cells levels were significantly lower in sufentanil and morphine postoperative analgesia rats compared with that without postoperative analgesia. Compared with morphine postoperative analgesia, sufentanil postoperative analgesia rats seem have higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio , Th1 cells, while lower Th2, Th17 and Treg cells level. Conclusions ： Sufentanil and morphine postoperative analgesia show better immune function than that without postoperative analgesia by analyzing CD4 + /CD8 + ratio, Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells. Sufentanil postoperative analgesia demonstrated a favorable impact on immune function compared with morphine postoperative anesthesia in hepatocellular carcinoma rats undergoing left hepatectomy operation.