Is splenectomy a dyslipidemic intervention? Experimental response of serum lipids to different diets and operations.

UNLABELLED: Spleen removal may be recommended during organ transplantation in ABO-incompatible recipients as well as for hypoperfusion of the grafted liver, besides conventional surgical indications, but elevation of serum lipids has been observed in certain contexts. Aiming to analyze the influence of two dietary regimens on lipid profile, an experimental study was conducted. METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n = 86, 333.0 +/- 32.2 g) were divided in four groups: group 1: controls; group 2: sham operation; group 3: total splenectomy; group 4: subtotal splenectomy with upper pole preservation; subgroups A (cholesterol reducing chow) and B (cholesterol-rich mixture) were established, and diet was given during 90 days. Total cholesterol (Tchol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglycerides were documented. RESULTS: After total splenectomy, hyperlipidemia ensued with cholesterol-reducing chow. Tchol, LDL, VLDL, triglycerides, and HDL changed from 56.4 +/- 9.2, 24.6 +/- 4.7, 9.7 +/- 2.2, 48.6 +/- 11.1, and 22.4 +/- 4.3 mg/dL to 66.9 +/- 11.4, 29.9 +/- 5.9, 10.9 +/- 2.3, 54.3 +/- 11.4, and 26.1 +/- 5.1 mg/dL, respectively. Upper pole preservation inhibited abnormalities of Tchol, HDL, VLDL, and triglycerides, and LDL decreased (23.6 +/- 4.9 vs. 22.1 +/- 5.1, P = 0.002). Higher concentrations were triggered by splenectomy and cholesterol-enriched diet (Tchol 59.4 +/- 10.1 vs. 83.9 +/- 14.3 mg/dL, P = 0.000), and upper-pole preservation diminished without abolishing hyperlipidemia (Tchol 55.9 +/- 10.0 vs. 62.3 +/- 7.8, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: After splenectomy, hyperlipidemia occurred with both diets. Preservation of the upper pole tended to correct dyslipidemia in modality A and to attenuate it in subgroup B.

Experimental models of longitudinal abdominal incisional hernia in rats

Absominal incisional hernias in rats has been produced resection of a segment of abdominal muscle. In an attempt to create a model of incisional hernia in rats, without resection of abdominal muscle, the following surgical procedures were performed: (a) Ratas anesthetized with ether were submitted to a 4 cm long median incision, supra and infraumbilical, followed by dissection of the subcutaneous tissue 1.5 cm laterally to the median line in each side: after, one incision was performed in the linea alba and peritoneum, with the same extension of the skin incision; the skin incision was sutured. (b) Rats were submitted to a suprapubic transveersal incision and a scissors introduced through this incision and used to dissect the subcutaneous tissue at least 1.5 cm for each side of median line; after, the linea alba and peritoneum were incised and the transversal skin sncision sutured. (c) For control, rats were submitted to a resection of a 2.5 x 4 cm of the abdominal muscles, creating a large defect in the abdominal wall. All the animal, submitted to the three different procedures, developed smiliar well constituted hernias. We concluded that abdominal incisonal hernias are easily induced in rats after an incision of the abdominal wall, without partial resection of abdominal muscle, since the subcutaneous have been dissected at least 1.5 cm laterally to the median line.