Abstract
To investigate the influence of splenectomy under obstructive jaundice, we designed an experimental study by ligating the common bile duct of 4 weeks old male Wistar rats. We observed the histological damage to the liver and effects on the function of the Kupffer cells. The following results were obtained. 1) The liver in splenectomized rats was compared with that in jaundiced rats. 2) The phagocytosis of Kupffer cells in splenectomized rats with jaundice was less than that in jaundiced rats. It is suggested that an inhibitory factor from the spleen might suppress functions of the liver when an animal suffers from obstructive jaundice.
