INTRAVENOUS-INJECTION OF SONICATED BLOOD INDUCES PULMONARY MICROTHROMBOEMBOLISM IN RABBITS WITH LIGATION OF THE SPLENIC ARTERY

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is found in long hospitalized patients . Chronic PTE has been reported to play an important role in cardiac f ailure in thalassemic patients after splenectomy. However, the mechani sm of PTE in these patients remains unclear. In this study, we attempt ed to establish an animal model of PTE. We divided New Zealand white r abbits into three groups: Group I was injected sonicated blood, II was injected non-sonicated blood after ligation of the splenic artery, an d III was injected sonicated blood after ligation of the splenic arter y. After injection of the sonicated blood, we examined the platelet co unts every 10 minutes until 1 hour and the rabbits were sacrificed for histological examination. Platelets significantly decreased in number immediately after the injection of sonicated blood in Groups I and II I. Many pulmonary thromboemboli composed mainly of platelets were foun d in Group III but not in other groups. These pathological changes see m to be partly similar to those of thalassemic patients after splenect omy. This animal model is thought to be useful to study the: pathogene sis of pulmonary thromboembolism. especially in thalassemic patients a fter splenectomy. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.