Cerebral prothrombotic state in spontaneously hypertensive rats of different breeds

The thrombotic tendency in two breeds of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) was assessed by inducing occlusive thrombosis in pial blood vessels using a helium-neon laser method. A prothrombotic state was observed in the SHR of one breed as compared to the corresponding control WKY, but not in the other. Circulating platelet and erythrocyte counts and haematocrit values were significantly negatively correlated in arterioles with the number of laser pulses, which is an index of the thrombotic tendency, suggesting that the prothrombotic state was partly dependent on the counts of blood components. However, there was no correlation between the measured blood parameters and prothrombotic state in venules. The difference observed in arterioles and venules might be due to their differential haemodynamics and endothelial properties. Prothrombotic state in the SHR of one breed would be partly due to the much higher difference in blood components from its corresponding control compared to the comparatively less difference in the other breed.