Chemical sympathectomy alters numbers of splenic and peritoneal leukocytes

Sympathectomy of BALB/c mice that were injected with either Listeria monocytogenes or saline did not affect the total number of splenic leukocytes measured 1-3 days after injection, but sympathectomy did increase the percentages of neutrophils in the spleens of both infected and uninfected mice. By contrast, sympathectomy was associated with increased numbers of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and peritoneal macrophages in both groups of mice. Sympathectomy did not affect tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-12, or interferon-gamma production in cultured splenocytes or PEC in either infected or uninfected mice.