Lauric Acid-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis in Rabbits

Summary

Intravenous injection of 0.5% lauric acid solution into rabbits caused moderate to marked thrombocytopenia. With small doses (2.5 mg/kg) this thrombocyte decrease was reversible and microscopically demonstrable thrombosis in the lungs was only seen or suspected in a small number of rabbits 10 to 30 min after lauric acid injection. High doses were followed by partly reversible thrombocytopenia and by moderate to marked, sometimes lethal, thrombosis in the lungs still demonstrable 24 hrs after injection. Repeated administration of small doses of lauric acid did not lead to a depletion of the circulating thrombocytes. Thrombocytopenic response, however, appeared to be less pronounced after the second and subsequent injections. Studies with Cr⁵¹-labeled platelets indicate that during the reversible thrombocytopenia following a small intravenous dose of lauric acid platelets are retained in various organs, particularly the lungs.

^* Research Division, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, N. J.

• References

• 1 Connor W. E, Hoak J. G, Warner E. D. Massive thrombosis produced by fatty acid infusion. J. clin. Invest. 42: 860-866 1963;
• 2 Hellem A. J. The adhesiveness of human blood platelets in vitro. Oslo University Press; 1960
• 3 Klein E. M. In: A Syllabus of Laboratory Examinations in Clinical Diagnosis. Edited by Page L. B, Culver P. J. revised edition, 67 Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass: 1961
• 4 Margolis J. Activation of Hageman factor by saturated fatty acids. Austr. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci. 40: 505-514 1962;
• 5 O’Neill B, Firkin B. Platelet survival studies, and conditions associated with atherosclerosis. J. Lab. clin. Med. 64: 188-201 1964;
• 6 Shore P. A, Alpers H. S. Platelet damage and release of amines by microgram quantities of certain fatty acids. Fed. Proc. 22: 504 1963;
• 7 Soloff L. A, Wiedeman M. P. Biomicroscopic observations on vasoconstrictive and thrombogenic effects produced by long-chain saturated fatty acids within the vasculature of the wing of an unanesthetized bat. Nature (Lond) 199: 495-496 1963;
• 8 Zbinden G. Transient thrombopenia after intravenous injection of certain fatty acids. J. Lipid Res. 05: 378-384 1964;