Summary
The antithrombotic action of the highly effective synthetic thrombin inhibitor D-MePhe-Pro-Arg-H
(GYKI-14766) was studied in various models of experimental thrombosis. The compound
administered to rats and rabbits by i. v. bolus injections, continuous i. v. infusions,
subcutaneously and orally, respectively, induced significant decrease in thrombus
weight (i) in a quantitative venous thrombosis model with stasis based on vascular
lesion in rats, (ii) in an extracorporeal arterio-venous shunt model in rabbits, and
(iii) prevented the occlusion of the vessel in arterial thrombosis induced by mechanical
damage in rats. By using the arterio-venous shunt model in rabbits the inhibitory
effect on thrombus growth could be demonstrated as a function of dose and time in
self-controlled experiments. Blood level of the inhibitor determined by a bioassay
varied between 0.09-0.67 µg/ml whole blood when doses of 15 and 20 mg/kg were administered
orally. A correlation was found between thrombin time, platelet aggregation induced
by thrombin ex vivo and the weight of thrombi formed.