Increased venous versus arterial thrombosis in the Factor V Leiden mouse

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs with high prevalence in association with the Factor V Leiden (R506Q) mutation, whereas most evidence suggests no correlation with clinical arterial thrombosis.

This study compared arterial to venous thrombosis in the mutationally analogous Factor V Leiden mouse.

Three separate vascular thrombosis models were evaluated in Fv(+/+) (wild-type), Fv(Q/+) (heterozygous) and Fv(Q/Q) (homozygous) Factor V Leiden mice.

In a FeCl(3)-induced arterial thrombosis model, no statistical differences among the three genotypes were found in the time to thrombotic occlusion. In contrast, Fv(Q/+) and Fv(Q/Q) mice demonstrated larger femoral vein thrombi at 30 and 60 min compared to wild-types, with Fv(Q/Q) mice having statistically larger thrombi than both wild-type and Fv(Q/+) mice at 10 and 60 min and 24 h (p<0.05). In a model of thrombotic occlusion following arterial and venous anastomotic repair, both Fv(Q/+) and Fv(Q/Q) mice had higher rates of venous thrombosis than wild-types, but only Fv(Q/Q) homozygotes showed a statistically greater arterial occlusion rate than wild-types.

The Factor V Leiden mouse demonstrated a greater propensity for venous vs. arterial thrombosis, paralleling clinical epidemiologic findings and supporting its use for research on deep vein thrombosis.