Tissue thromboplastin induced reversible DIC and heparin-enhanced inhibitors in dogs

Reversible acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been induced in dogs by intravenous injection of homologous tissue thromboplastin. There was no measurable consumption of antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II even if fibrinogen was reduced during DIC by more than 80% of its baseline. The prothrombin level remained practically constant. These data correspond to the generation of a few nanomoles of thrombin in vivo with subsequent pseudo-first order inactivation by the major thrombin inhibitors. An ex vivo measure of the pseudo-first order rate constant (dynamic thrombin inhibitory capacity, DTIC) was a sensitive probe of circulating heparin. There was no change of DTIC during DIC in the absence of exogenous heparin suggesting that heparin-like endogenous glycosaminoglycans were not released in substantial amounts. Pretreatment with heparin efficiently inhibited the development of tissue thromboplastin induced DIC. This animal model may serve as a tool for the study of glycosaminoglycan anticoagulants in vivo.