ELECTRICAL INJURY IN THE FEMORAL-ARTERY OF RABBITS AS A MODEL FOR ARTERIAL THROMBOSIS - A PILOT-STUDY

Electrical stimulation was delivered to the femoral artery of 20 rabbi ts to examine whether endothelial injury results in a consistent forma tion of arterial thrombosis. The arterial patency was monitored throug hout the experiment by flowmeter and was visualized by femoral angiogr aphy in 5/20 cases. The arterial segments remained totally occluded in 7/20 (35%), partially occluded in 9/20 (45%), and patent in 4/20 (20% ) rabbits following stimulation with 200 mu A anodal current for 180 m inutes. The average time of electrical stimulation needed to achieve t otal occlusion (n = 7) was 110 +/- 49 minutes. Alternating occlusion a nd recanalization of the artery (cyclic flow variation) was observed i n 12 rabbits, with total occlusion ensuing in 6/12 cases. Intravenous administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (20 mu g/kg/min for sixty minutes) resulted in femoral reflow and subsequent reocclusion in 2/5 cases. Histopathologic examination disclosed arter ial thrombi composed of platelets, fibrin, and red blood cells. Thus, according to these data this technique was found to induce arterial th rombosis following electrical stimulation of the rabbit femoral artery but was inconsistent regarding the arterial patency.