Hageman Factor Activity in Liquoid-Induced Consumption Coagulopathy

Abstract

Summary1. Consumption coagulopathy was induced by intravenous injection of Liquoid (sodium polyanetholsulfonate) into rabbits. Thirteen out of 21 animals injected with Liquoid showed fibrin formation in the renal glomerular capillaries characteristic of the generalized Shwartzman reaction. In these 13 animals, a pronounced drop in Hageman factor activity was observed in addition to a decrease in platelet counts and fibrinogen levels.2. The consumption coagulopathy induced by Liquoid could be prevented by pretreatment of the rabbits with phenprocoumon, a coumarin derivative. None of 21 rabbits pretreated by this anticoagulant and injected with Liquoid showed fibrin in the renal glomerular capillaries. Phenprocoumon pretreatment did not influence the decrease in platelet counts, but it did significantly diminish the drop in fibrinogen levels. Although disseminated intra vascular coagulation and the generalized Shwartzman reaction could be inhibited by phenprocoumon pretreatment, this anticoagulant could not prevent the initial drop in Hageman factor activity after Liquoid injection.3. Phenprocoumon did not influence the activity or synthesis of Hageman factor. As phenprocoumon pretreatment could not prevent the drop in Hageman factor activity after intravenous injection of Liquoid, it might be concluded that the Hageman factor is either consumed, directly inactivated or destroyed in the animals independent of the presence of the prothrombin complex. These findings support earlier studies which have shown that inhibition of Hageman factor activation in vivo can prevent the generalized Shwartzman reaction induced by Liquoid.