In the blood B cell numbers of all subsets increase after splenectomy.

(A) Representative dot plot of naı̈ve (IgD⁺IgM⁺) and memory (IgD⁻IgM^high) B-cell populations in the blood is shown (left). The number of cells of the framed populations was determined 3 months after either sham operation or splenectomy, and expressed as the number of cells per microliter (right). (B) Representative dot plot of NF (IgM^highCD90^high), ERF (IgM^lowCD90^high), RF (IgM^lowCD90⁻), and MZ (IgM^highCD90⁻) B-cell subsets is shown (each subset is framed). The graph demonstrates the number of B cells of the different subsets in blood of rats either sham operated or splenectomized. The values for both graphs are given as the mean ± SD (n = 8 for each group). The asterisk represents significant differences between the B-cell number of sham-operated and splenectomized animals (Mann-Whitney U test;P < .05).