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. 1993 Dec;110(4):1565–1571. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1993.tb14002.x

The effect of defibrotide on thromboembolism in the pulmonary vasculature of mice and rabbits and in the cerebral vasculature of rabbits.

W Paul 1, P Gresele 1, S Momi 1, G Bianchi 1, C P Page 1
PMCID: PMC2175855  PMID: 8306102

Abstract

1. Administration of bovine thrombin (100 u kg-1) into the carotid artery of rabbits induces a sustained accumulation of 111 Indium-labelled platelets within the cranial vasculature over the subsequent 3 h. 2. Intracarotid (i.c.) administration of defibrotide (64 mg kg-1 bolus plus 64 mg kg-1 h-1 for 1 h) prior to i.c. thrombin (100 u kg-1) significantly reduces the ability of thrombin to induce cranial thromboembolism in rabbits. 3. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of thrombin (20 u kg-1) in rabbits induces a reversible accumulation of radiolabelled platelets into the thoracic circulation which is significantly reduced by i.v. administration of defibrotide (64 mg kg-1 bolus plus 64 mg kg-1 h-1 for 1 h) prior to i.v. thrombin. In contrast, platelet accumulation in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP; 20 micrograms kg-1, i.v.) or platelet activating factor (PAF; 50 ng kg-1, i.v.) is not significantly affected by this treatment. 4. Intravenous administration of the nitric oxide (NO)-synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10 mg kg-1) potentiates platelet accumulation induced by low dose thrombin (10 u kg-1, i.v.) within the pulmonary vasculature of rabbits. The potentiated response is significantly abrogated following pretreatment with defibrotide (64 mg kg-1 bolus plus 64 mg kg-1 h-1 for 1 h, i.v.). 5. Intravenous injection of human thrombin (1250 u kg-1) to mice induces death within the majority of animals which is significantly reduced by pretreatment with defibrotide (150-175 mg kg-1, i.v.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Selected References

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