A prospective evaluation of oral Yunnan Baiyao therapy on thromboelastographic parameters in apparently healthy cats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of Yunnan Baiyao (YB) on hemostatic parameters measured by thromboelastography (TEG) in apparently healthy cats administered 1 capsule of YB orally twice daily for 1 week. DESIGN: Prospective study of client-owned cats at a small animal specialty hospital. SETTING: One private referral center. ANIMALS: Twenty client-owned adult cats were prospectively enrolled. INTERVENTIONS: All cats underwent echocardiographic examination by the same board-certified cardiologist to rule out occult cardiomyopathy. Blood samples were collected for analysis of baseline CBC, fibrinogen, and kaolin-activated TEG values. Cats were administered 1 capsule (250 mg/capsule) of YB twice daily orally for 1 week and the physical examination, CBC, fibrinogen, and TEG were re-evaluated. Any side effects attributed to YB were noted at this time. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three cats were excluded as 2 cats were identified with underlying cardiomyopathy and another cat had a cystic mass in the cranial mediastinum identified via echocardiography. Seventeen cats were treated with YB; however, 1 cat could not complete the study due to severe vomiting associated with YB administration. The remaining 16 cats completed the study, although 2 additional cats experienced transient vomiting. Yunnan Baiyao administration was associated with a significant decrease in HCT and red blood cell count, although no cat became anemic. None of the TEG parameters significantly changed compared to baseline after 1 week of YB therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest YB at a dose of 1 capsule orally twice daily in cats fails to produce any significant change in hemostatic parameters as measured by TEG, although it did significantly reduce HCT and red blood cell count. Yunnan Baiyao was tolerated for most of the cats, although 3 of 17 (17.6%) cats experienced vomiting. Clinicians should be aware of these effects before considering the use of YB in cats.

In vitro methods of evaluating antithrombotics and thrombolytics.

Platelets play a crucial role in primary hemostasis by forming hemostatic plugs at sites of vascular injury. There is abundant evidence that platelets also play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombotic disorders, including unstable angina (UA), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of these processes has been recognized as the disruption or erosion of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, leading to local platelet adhesion and subsequent formation of partially or completely occlusive platelet thrombi. A variety of methods have been used to assess platelet aggregation, blood coagulation, and the ex vivo and/or in vitro efficacy of platelet antagonists, anticoagulants, and thrombolytics.

[Pathological changes in thrombocyte-vascular and coagulative hemostasis under the influence of lead chloride and their correction by using a synthetic analog of prostacyclin]. / Patolohichni zminy trombotsytarno-sudynnoho ta koahukiatsiinoho hemostazu pid vplyvom khlorystoho svintsiu ta ïkh korektsiia za dopomohoiu syntetychnoho analoha prostatsyklinu.

It has been established that plumbum chloride possesses a marked toxic action on the membranes of the formed elements, in particular, the thrombocytes, activates the release of the factors of thrombocyte aggregations, resulting in an increase of their adhesive and aggregation properties. The research studies the influence of the stable prostacycline analogue MM-706 and thrombocytic-vascular, as well as coagulative hemostasis in rats at a background of plumbum intoxication. We have discovered a marked protective action of MM-706 on the thrombocytes which is manifested through a decrease of the index of a spontaneous thrombocyte aggregation and percentage of adhesive thrombocytes, normalization of the general potential of hemocoagulation and time characteristics of a thromboelastogram.