Thromboses in Large Veins and Pulmonary Embolisms induced by Catecholamines or Serotonin

Abstract

IT has recently been noted that a singular thrombo-haemorrhagic phenomenon can be elicited in rats by the intravenous injection of various metals or sulphated polysaccharides (which act as ‘sensitizers’), followed by subcutaneous treatment with catecholamines or serotonin (which act as ‘challengers’). The basic structural lesions always consist of multiple haemorrhages and micro-thromboses, thus resembling those of the Sanarelli Shwartzman phenomenon (induced by two properly spaced injections of bacterial endotoxins). In its simplest form, this thrombohaemorrhagic phenomenon is obtained by the intravenous administration of a sensitizer (for example, indium chloride) and the concurrent subcutaneous injection of a challenger (for example, adrenaline). In this case the lesions occur topically at the site of challenge; however, after similar sensitization, the systemic administration of suitable challengers can produce thrombohaemorrhagic lesions more or less selectively at various sites such as the salivary glands, heart, lung, kidneys, intestinal tract or even transplant able neoplasms^1–4.