Hirudin in disseminated intravascular coagulation

Various reactions of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were experimentally induced by infusion of thrombokinase in rats, by administration of endotoxin in rabbits and pigs and by infusion of adrenaline and thrombin in dogs. Low plasma concentrations of recombinant hirudin (r-hirudin; 20-200 ng/ml) were sufficient for the inhibition of the different triggering mechanisms. The studies on the pharmacological profile of r-hirudin in DIC therapy confirm the efficacy of this specific tight-binding thrombin inhibitor.