Aprotinin reduces hypothermic mortality--an experimental model

In order to test the postulate that post-hypothermic damage may be caused by protease activation, the effect of the administration of aprotinin on hypothermic mortality was investigated in anaesthetized rabbits. A group of 6 animals received 40.000 KIU aprotinin intravenously prior to the induction of hypothermia by surface cooling and this was followed by a further 35.000 KIU each hour for 5 h. The animals were cooled to 29 degrees C and then rewarmed. A control group received equal volumes of physiological saline. The aprotinin treated animals survived, whereas all the control group died within 7 days, 5 of them within 24 h. The haemodynamic, biochemical and haematological changes in the two groups are reported.