The responses of the spleen to nerve stimulation in relation to the frequency of splenic nerve discharge

Abstract

The response of the spleen is shown to be made up of at least three distinct components, 2 vascular and 1 capsular. Although the splenic capsular response is maximal at frequencies of nerve stimulation well below 10 impulses per second, the response of the splenic vascular bed is less than 70% maximum with stimulation at 10 impulses per second (imp. /s). In the decerebrate cat the splenic nerve fibres are normally active at between 0 and 5.6 imp. /s and in asphyxia or following vertebral occlusion this activity can rise as high as 10 imp. /s.