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Procedure for Human Saphenous Veins Ex Vivo Perfusion and External Reinforcement
Published on: October 1, 2014
Endogenous plasminogen activator and venous flow: therapeutic implications.
Critical Care Medicine
|February 1, 1987
Summary
External pneumatic compression (EPC) decreased plasminogen activator (PA) activity in the leg, suggesting potential new methods for preventing blood clots. This finding relates to endothelial cell function and venous blood flow augmentation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Vascular Biology
- Thromboembolism Research
Background:
- Endogenous plasminogen activator (PA) plays a crucial role in fibrinolysis.
- Understanding PA activity changes is vital for preventing thromboembolic events.
- External pneumatic compression (EPC) is used to augment venous blood flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of external pneumatic compression (EPC) on endogenous plasminogen activator (PA) activity.
- To determine if augmented venous blood flow influences PA levels.
- To explore potential implications for thromboembolism prophylaxis.
Main Methods:
- Ten patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia received EPC on their left leg.
- Venous blood samples were collected from femoral and arm veins at baseline, 30, and 60 minutes.
- PA activity was measured using a specific, single-blind assay on 90 duplicate samples.
Main Results:
- In the control limb, PA activity showed a non-significant transient increase.
- In the EPC-treated leg, PA activity progressively decreased, reaching 75% of baseline at 60 minutes (p < .01).
- The decline in PA activity was statistically significant at both 30 (p < .001) and 60 minutes compared to baseline.
Conclusions:
- Augmented venous blood flow via EPC leads to a significant decrease in endogenous PA activity.
- This decrease may be attributed to reduced substrate (fibrin) availability due to increased blood flow.
- Observed alterations in endothelial cell activity suggest novel strategies for thromboembolism prophylaxis.
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