Original Research

Comparative ultrastructure of fibrin networks of a dog after thrombotic ischaemic stroke

Etheresia Pretorius, Ursula B. Windberger, Hester M. Oberholzer, Roland E. Auer
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 77, No 1 | a4 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v77i1.4 | © 2010 Etheresia Pretorius, Ursula B. Windberger, Hester M. Oberholzer, Roland E. Auer | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 August 2010 | Published: 05 November 2010

About the author(s)

Etheresia Pretorius, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa, South Africa
Ursula B. Windberger, Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University Vienna, Austria, Austria
Hester M. Oberholzer, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa, South Africa
Roland E. Auer, University of Pretoria Biomedical Research Centre, University of Pretoria, South Africa, South Africa

Abstract

A cerebrovascular accident or stroke is a rare condition in dogs, but previous studies suggest that it is now increasingly being recognised. Platelets and fibrin networks are involved in haemostasis,which is disrupted during a thrombotic event. In this study we investigate the ultrastructure of the fibrin networks of a dog that had suffered ischaemic stroke, following suspected thromboembolism from clots that became dislodged during catheter maintenance (flushing with heparinised saline) 2 days after carotid artery catheter insertion. Fibrin networks of blood samples that were collected immediately after the stroke, 15 min after treatment with streptokinase and 24 h after treatment, were studied. The results were compared to those of two control dogs. During a stroke, fibrin morphology changes to form a thick, matted layer.Post-treatment ultrastructure shows that the fibrin morphology returns to that comparable to controls. Our results show that during thrombotic risk, fibrin network morphology changes visibly and reduces the fibrinolytic activity of the coagulation system.

Keywords

dog; fibrin networks; Ischemic stroke; platelets; Scanning Electron Microscopy

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References


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Pretorius, E., Bronkhorst, P., Briedenhann, S., Smit, E. & Franz, R.C., 2009, ‘Comparisons of the fibrin networks during pregnancy, non-pregnancy and pregnancy during dysfibrinogenaemia using the scanning electron microscope’, Blood, Coagulation and Fibrinolysis 20(1) 12−16.

Pretorius, E., Vieira, W.A., Oberholzer, H.M. & Auer, R.E.J., 2009, ‘Comparative scanning electron microscopy of platelets and fibrin networks of humans and different animals’, International Journal of Morphology 27(1) 69−76.

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