Thromb Haemost 1993; 69(02): 098-102
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1651562
Original Article
Clinical Studies
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Reduction of Mortality with Antithrombin III in Septicemic Rats: A Study of Klebsiella pneumoniae Induced Sepsis

Gerhard Dickneite
The Research Laboratories of Behringwerke AG, Marburg/Lahn, Germany
,
Eric-Paul Pâques
The Research Laboratories of Behringwerke AG, Marburg/Lahn, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 10 March 1992

Accepted after revision 23 September 1992

Publication Date:
03 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

Experimental gram-negative sepsis was induced in the rat by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although bacteria are susceptible to the treatment with the antibiotic Tobramycin, DIC could not be prevented. DIC was manifested by a leuko- and thrombocytopenia, decreases in fibrinogen and AT III and an increase of the aPTT. In this model the therapeutic treatment with human AT III was evaluated. To determine the optimal concentration of AT III a prestudy in a LPS induced DIC in the rat was performed. It was shown that a bolus i. v. injection of 500 U/kg improved survival and DIC, and was thus chosen for the Klebsiella sepsis model. The infectious load was adjusted to yield a mortality rate of 90-100% in the untreated Klebsiella group and a reduction to about 40-50% of the mortality rate by Tobramycin. It was found that AT III reduced mortality in the Klebsiella induced sepsis not only when given prophylactically but was effective even when administrated in a late stage of the DIC, i. e. 3 or 5 h post infection.