Continuous thrombin infusion leads to a bleeding phenotype in sheep

Abstract Background In addition to a recognized role in the coagulation cascade and haemostasis, thrombin is known to have multiple functions. We aimed to establish an ovine model to study thrombin effects in vivo . Methods Thrombin (0.0004-0.42IU/kg/min) was continuously infused in Austrian Mountain Sheep over five hours in the dose escalation study (n=5 animals; 15 experiments). In the dose verification study animals received 0.42IU/kg/min of thrombin vs. saline solution in a cross-over design (n=3 animals; 7 experiments). Results Thrombin at an infusion rate of 0.42IU/kg/min decreased fibrinogen levels by 75% (p Conclusion Protracted intravenous infusion of thrombin over a period of five hours offers a new experimental model to study thrombin effects in a large animal species.