Effect of splenectomy on the size of amoebic liver abscesses and metastatic foci in hamsters.

The role of the spleen in hepatic amoebiasis in hamsters was studied. In hamsters receiving an intrahepatic inoculation of 10(5) trophozoites of axenic Entamoeba histolytica at 7 or 14 days postsplenectomy, the mean weight of metastatic foci increased significantly when compared with sham-splenectomized or intact controls. In contrast, when both splenectomy and intrahepatic inoculation with amoebae were carried out at the same time, there was not only a significant increase in the mean weight of metastatic foci but also in the liver abscess. It is suggested that the spleen is important for host defense against E. histolytica infection, especially in the reduction in the degree of metastatic spread from the primary site.