Comparison of the effect of coagulation and platelet function impairments on various mouse bleeding models

Haemostatic impairments are studied in vivo using one of several murine bleeding models. However it is not known whether these models are equally appropriate for assessing coagulation or platelet function defects. It was our study objective to assess the performance of arterial, venous and combined arterial and venous murine bleeding models towards impaired coagulation or platelet function. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) or α_IIbβ₃ inhibitory antibody (Leo.H4) were administered to mice, and their effects on bleeding in saphenous vein, artery, and tail tip transection models were quantified and correlated with their effects on plasma clotting and ADP-induced platelet aggregation, respectively. All models exhibited similar sensitivity with UFH (EC₅₀ dose = 0.19, 0.13 and 0.07 U/g, respectively) (95% CI = 0.14 - 0.27, 0.08 - 0.20, and 0.03 - 0.16 U/g, respectively). Maximal inhibition of ex vivo plasma clotting could be achieved with UFH doses as low as 0.03 U/g. In contrast, the saphenous vein bleeding model was less sensitive to α_IIbβ₃ inhibition (EC₅₀ = 6.9 μg/ml) than tail transection or saphenous artery bleeding models (EC₅₀ = 0.12 and 0.37 μg/ml, respectively) (95% CI = 2.4 - 20, 0.05 - 0.33, and 0.06 - 2.2 μg/ml, respectively). The EC₅₀ of Leo.H4 for ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vitro (8.0 μg/ml) was at least 20-fold higher than that of the tail and arterial, but not the venous bleeding model. In conclusion, venous, arterial and tail bleeding models are similarly affected by impaired coagulation, while platelet function defects have a greater influence in models incorporating arterial injury.