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The effect of recombinant aprotinin on t-PA-induced bleeding in rats
E Erhardtsen1, C Bregengaard, U Hedner
1Novo Nordisk A/S, Department of Pharmacology, Hemostasis, Gentofte, Denmark.
High dose aprotinin administered during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been shown to reduce post-operative bleeding substantially. The exact mechanism of action is still debated. A reduction in fibrinolytic activity by inhibition of plasmin generated during CPB may be the primary mode of action. However, this hypothesis has been questioned as the apparent inhibitory constant of aprotinin for plasmin is orders of magnitude lower than the clinically effective plasma concentration of aprotinin. In the present study the effect of various plasma levels of aprotinin on a plasmin-induced bleeding in rats was investigated. The mean time of bleeding was 10 min in rats receiving only saline whereas a prolonged bleeding of up to > 45 min was seen in rats given t-PA and saline. The steady-state plasma concentration of recombinant aprotinin during infusion of 11 mg/kg/h was approximately 2 microM which roughly corresponds to the clinical use of aprotinin. This dose reduced the t-PA-induced bleeding to a mean value of 11 min, whereas no effects were observed with lower doses. The effect of aprotinin in clinical care of blood loss in CPB in man may therefore be caused by direct inhibition of plasmin.
High dose aprotinin administered during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been shown to reduce post-operative bleeding substantially. The exact mechanism of action is still debated. A reduction in fibrinolytic activity by inhibition of plasmin generated during CPB may be the primary mode of action. However, this hypothesis has been questioned as the apparent inhibitory constant of aprotinin for plasmin is orders of magnitude lower than the clinically effective plasma concentration of aprotinin. In the present study the effect of various plasma levels of aprotinin on a plasmin-induced bleeding in rats was investigated. The mean time of bleeding was 10 min in rats receiving only saline whereas a prolonged bleeding of up to > 45 min was seen in rats given t-PA and saline. The steady-state plasma concentration of recombinant aprotinin during infusion of 11 mg/kg/h was approximately 2 microM which roughly corresponds to the clinical use of aprotinin. This dose reduced the t-PA-induced bleeding to a mean value of 11 min, whereas no effects were observed with lower doses. The effect of aprotinin in clinical care of blood loss in CPB in man may therefore be caused by direct inhibition of plasmin.