Establishment and comparison of different pulmonary embolism models in mice

    LI Shengª²Qing, ZHANG Jian, QI Haoª²Wen, YANG Guiª²Zhong

    1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xijing Hospital, 2Experimental Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¡¯an 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To establish three different kinds of mice models of pulmonary embolism and compare the differences between them. METHODS: Three different medicines collagen + epinephrine, ADP and thrombin at the minimal death causing dose were injected into the jugular vein of C57BL/6 mice to induce pulmonary embolism. Untreated group and normal saline group were used as control. The histological images of lungs and the components of the thrombus were studied and the platelet count in circulating blood was determined. RESULTS: Injection of normal saline decreased the median platelet count by (62¡À8)¡Á109/L in mice. One minute after injection of ADP, collagen + epinephrine or thrombin, median platelet counts in mice decreased by (312¡À46)¡Á109/L (P<0.05), (459¡À78)¡Á109/L (P<0.01), and (987¡À135)¡Á109/L (P<0.01), indicating a gradation in prothrombotic effects. Thrombin treatment resulted in a mean of (4.9¡À0.3) thrombi per high power field (hpf) in mice, collagen + epinephrine resulted in (2.3¡À0.5) thrombi per hp and ADP resulted in (1.2¡À0.2) thrombi per hpf (P<0.05). Histological and immunohistochemical examinations revealed positive results. CONCLUSION: Through different ways, all three agents can induce in mice pulmonary thrombi composed of different mixtures of platelets and fibrin. ......