Abstract:Objective: Our present study aims to detect the effects of hydromorphone or morphine analgesia on the levels of Tregs and NK cells in the peripheral blood of HCC rats after hepatectomy. Methods: 45 SD rats were induced by Diethyl Nitrosamine (DENA) to become liver cancer rats, then they were randomly divided into three groups: normal saline group (group NS), morphine group (group M) and hydromorphone group (group H)(n=15/group). After liver lobectomy, rats were given normal saline, morphine, and hydromorphone by osmotic pump for 3 days. Changes in the Mechanical pain threshold (MPT) near the abdominal incision were detected by vonfrey. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the percentage of Tregs and NK in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Modeling was successful when Hepatocellular carcinoma cells was observed by HE staining. Results: Compared with group NS, the MPT of group M and group H was significantly higher at 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery (P<0.05), but no statistical difference was found between group M and group H (P >0.05). The percentage of Treg cells was increased (P < 0.05) and the percentage of NK cells was decreased (P < 0.05) at 3 days and 7 days after surgery compared with that before surgery. Compared with group NS, the Tregs of group M and group H were lower and the NK cells were higher at 3 and 7 days after surgery (P<0.05). Tregs of group H were significantly lower and the NK cells were higher than those of group M at 7 days after surgery (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both hydromorphone and morphine for postoperative analgesia can down-regulate the percentage of Treg cells and up-regulate the percentage of NK cells in peripheral blood after surgery, and the effect of morphine hydrochloride is stronger.