Studies on Bartonella Muris Anemia of Albino Rats

Abstract

Autoplastic splenic transplants were made in adult albino rats 4 weeks and 7 weeks prior to splenectomy and the protective effects against infection with the Bartonella muris anemia observed. 1. One-fourth of the spleen left in situ will protect adult albino rats against the Bartonella muris anemia. 2. Autotransplantation of splenic tissue in adult rats is successful in over 90 per cent of instances. 3. Autoplastic splenic transplants performed 7 weeks prior to splenectomy afford protection against Bartonella muris anemia in more than 50 per cent of instances, whereas 4 week old transplants do not protect. 4. A comparative histological study of the transplants of protected and unprotected rats reveals a regeneration of the pulp cells in the protected rats and an exhaustion destruction of the pulp in the unprotected rats. 5. The reticular cells play a specific rôle in protecting the adult albino rat against Bartonella muris anemia.

Malign effects of splenectomy—the place of conservative treatment

“…With the exception of very few experimental studies (Motohashi, 1922;Perla and Marmorston-Gottesman, 1930;Perla, 1936) it was not until 30 years later that clinical reports appeared which related fatal infections to splenectomy (King and Schumacker, 1952). In recent years, owing to an increase in road accidents, gunshot wounds, sporting injuries, and in the number of elective operations during which incidental splenectomy is performed for technical reasons or for surgical trauma (Klaue, Eckert and Kern, 1979), splenectomy has become a relatively common operation.…”

“…Following the pioneering work of Marine and Manley (1920), Perla and Marmorston-Gottesman (1930) continued transplantation experiments in rats and found that at least 7 weeks have to elapse before the transplant can protect these animals from Bartonella muris haemolytic anaemia. Detailed histological studies in rats (Tavassoli, Ratzan and Crosby, 1973) showed that splenic fragments, autotransplanted into subcutaneous tissue in the abdomen, undergo at first almost complete necrosis except for a shell of splenic tissue at the surface of the implant, consistent with connective tissue cells.…”

Compensatory Hypertrophy of the Spleen

“…In the rabbit, Marine and Manley (7) showed that though splenic autotransplants will grow in the adult rabbit in the absence of the spleen in many instances, these transplants are often resorbed or remain small and do not undergo hypertrophy. In the rat, however, Perla and Gottesman (8) found that splenic autotransplants will grow even in the presence of the spleen and in its absence will undergo marked hypertrophy. These investigators conclude that this ~indicates a difference in the function of the adult spleen of…”

“…Furthermore since the splenic tissue, due to the latent infection, is present in an amount far above normal it might be expected, when half of the organ was removed, to increase in size as a result of the presence of this abnormal stimulus. Is the differing behavior of splenic transplants in adult rabbits and rats (8) and the difference, which is of essentially the same nature, in the compensatory hypertrophy of the spleen in these two animals, due to some fundamental difference in the splenic tissue of the two species or to the fact that the rats possess a stimulus to the hypertrophy of splenic tissue in their Bartonella muris infection while the rabbit does not? We are inclined to the latter view.…”

“…If it is due to the Bartonella muris infection one would expect young rabbits infected (8) with this organism, to show compensatory hypertrophy of the spleen. It is possible of course that very young rabbits might show compensatory splenic hypertrophy for Marine and Manley (7) found that they differ much from the mature animal and react to splenic transplants in essentially the same manner as the mature Bartonella muris infected rats of Perla and Gottesman (8). It is hoped that the difference in the behavior of the spleen in the rat and the rabbit can at a later period be examined in the manner proposed.…”