The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 93, 620-627, Copyright © 1987 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Animal model of acute pulmonary thromboembolism treated by local recirculation of streptokinase through the lung
EI Cabrera Fischer, P Willshaw, E de Forteza, M Biagetti, R Altman, MC Morales, RH Pichel and RG Favaloro
Massive acute pulmonary thromboembolism has a high mortality within the
first few hours. Surgical intervention can remove only larger thrombi.
Systemic fibrinolytic administration requires many hours for adequate
treatment. We describe an anesthetized dog model of acute, massive,
disseminated pulmonary thromboembolism achieved by injection of 1.7 ml/kg
of 1-hour-old thrombi directly into the pulmonary artery. The emboli were
lysed with 50,000 IU streptokinase recirculated for 20 minutes through the
isolated pulmonary vascular bed by use of a roller pump while the systemic
bed was supported by conventional cardiopulmonary bypass. On reestablishing
natural circulation all hemodynamic parameters returned to preembolism
values. Success of lysis was histologically confirmed. Perfusion of the
pulmonary vascular bed without inclusion of streptokinase in the perfusate
worsened the hemodynamic state of the animals compared with an untreated
nonperfused control group.