Characterizing behavior changes in mice receiving splenectomy

Background: Spleen is critical for immunity. The spleen is the largest immune organ and immune center in the peripheral system. The relationship between behavior and immunity has been fully reflected in physiology and diseases, however, the role of the spleen in behavior is not clear. Methods: To explore the potential effects of spleen on behavior, here we developed refined splenectomy procedure on C57BL/6J mice. And then systemically examined the changes in general locomotion, circadian rhythms, learning and memory, depression/anxiety-related behaviors. Results: Interestingly, splenectomy has no significant effects on these baseline behavioral performances. To further understand the effect of spleen on stress susceptibility/resilience, we applied chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in our animal model. The behavioral performances of mice with splenectomy showed no differences from control animals following systemic challenge with CUMS. Conclusion: These results suggested that splenectomy does not cause significant changes in baseline behavior performances in mice, which provides an important strategy in manipulating peripheral immunity for neuroscience research.