The Effect of Splenectomy on the Formation of Circulating Antibody in the Adult Male Albino Rat

Abstract

In the splenectomized rat, the production of circulating antibody is a function of the dosage of antigen and the route of administration of antigen. If the dosage is small and given intravenously, the splenectomized rat responds with a low circulating antibody titer. If the same small dose of antigen is given intraportally or intraperitoneally, the splenectomized animal responds as well as does the control animal. The immunological response of the splenectomized rat is the same whether immunization takes place one hour, fourteen days, two months, or six months after splenectomy. Specific immunization prior to splenectomy does not alter the response of the rats to the same specific immunization following splenectomy. The results were similar for two antigens tested, sheep erythrocytes and a bacterial vaccine, both particulate antigens.