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Updated: May 28, 2026

Tail Vein Transection Bleeding Model in Fully Anesthetized Hemophilia A Mice
Published on: September 30, 2021
Recombinant activated coagulation factor VII and prothrombin complex concentrates are equally effective in reducing
Frieder Schlunk1, Elizabeth M Van Cott, Kazuhide Hayakawa
1Department of Neurology, Goethe-University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Background And Purpose:
Based on an experimental model of warfarin-associated intracerebral hemorrhage, we investigated whether the rapid reversal of anticoagulation using prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC) or recombinant activated coagulation factor VII (rFVIIa) reduces hematoma volume.
Methods:
Mice were orally pretreated with warfarin (2 mg/kg). Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by collagenase injection into the right striatum. Forty-five minutes later, PCC (100 IE/kg), rFVIIa (1 mg/kg), or an equal volume of saline was administered intravenously. Hematoma volume after 24 hours was quantified using a photometric hemoglobin assay.
Results:
International normalized ratio was 4.3±0.4 in saline-treated mice, 0.9±0.1 in rFVIIa mice, and 1.4±0.2 in PCC mice. Intracerebral hemorrhage volume was 29.0±19.7 μL in the saline group (n=7), 8.6±4.3 μL in the rFVIIa group (n=6), and 6.1±1.8 μL in the PCC group (n=7; analysis of variance between-group differences P=0.004; post hoc rFVIIa versus saline P=0.021; PCC versus saline P=0.007). No significant difference was found between PCC- and rFVIIa-treated animals.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that PCC and rFVIIa are equally effective in restoring coagulation and preventing excessive hematoma growth in acute warfarin-associated intracerebral hemorrhage.
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