Effects of acute and chronic splenectomy on experimental acute renal tubular lesions

The first half of this study describes the effects of acute splenectomy on epinephrine-induced ATL in the dog. Renal morphology and hematocrit were compared in 12 dogs without splenectomy (group I), six dogs with antecedent splenectomy (group II), and seven dogs with antecedent splenectomy after splenic contraction was induced by topical application of epinephrine (group III). Splenectomy was performed in groups II and III 20 to 30 min prior to epinephrine infusion; all three groups received equal infusions (4 microgram/kg/min) for 6 hr before the kidneys were harvested. ATL and renal congestion were consistently severe in group I but infrequent and less severe in groups II and III. The second half of this study describes the apparent protective effect of chronic (2-week) splenectomy on epinephrine-induced ATL. Renal morphology and hematocrits were compared in 13 intact dogs (group IV) and 10 dogs splenectomized 2 weeks before the epinephrine infusion (group V). The severity of the ATL and the degree of renal congestion were significantly less in the chronically splenectomized dogs. This chronic protection afforded by acute and chronic splenectomy observed after epinephrine infusion remains unclear.