J. Roussi et al., PLATELET FUNCTIONS AND HEMOSTASIS PARAMETERS IN PIGS - ABSENCE OF SIDE-EFFECTS OF A PROCEDURE OF GENERAL-ANESTHESIA, Thrombosis research, 81(3), 1996, pp. 297-305
Pigs are largely used as experimental animal models of thrombosis and
for testing the anti thrombotic drug efficacy. Generally experiments a
re performed on pigs under general anaesthesia and observations can be
affected by the anaesthetic drugs used. The effects of a general anae
sthetic procedure were checked on pig haemostasis parameters; the pig
was pre-anaesthetized with ketamine chloride, then intubated and venti
lated with a mixture containing halothane, nitrous oxide and oxygen. B
leeding time, platelet aggregations, coagulation factors, coagulation
inhibitors, fibrinolysis parameters and markers of activation of coagu
lation were determined on 30 Large White pigs before and under this an
aesthesia procedure. Compared to human coagulation, pig is characteriz
ed by very high levels of factor V, VIII, IX, XI, XII activities, same
levels of factor II, fibrinogen, antithrombin III (ATIII), low levels
of protein C activities. Thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and tiss
ue plasminogen activator antigen (tPA) values were dispersed. With the
reagents used, protein S, prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), D Dimers (
D-D), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAi) levels could not be determ
ined. No difference was observed between results obtained before and u
nder anaesthesia, particularly no increase of bleeding time, no modifi
cation of platelet aggregations and no activation of coagulation. This
anaesthetic procedure does not induce any modification of pig haemost
asis and can be used, without side effects, for experimental thrombosi
s studies in pigs.