Anticoagulant effect of Huisheng Oral Solution in a rat model of thrombosis

The aim of this study was to investigate whether Huisheng Oral Solution has an anticoagulant effect in a rat model of thrombosis. Forty male SD rats were equally and randomly divided into four groups: blank group, model group, and two treatment groups (A and B). Rats were subcutaneously injected with carrageenan to induce thrombosis. Rats in treatment group A were intragastrically administered with Huisheng Oral Solution in a dose of 2 mL/100 g body weight (once per 8 h) 72 h after carrageenan injection, and those in treatment group B both 72 h before and after the induction of thrombosis. Blood samples were collected 24, 48, and 72 h after carrageenan injection for measurements of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), international normalized ratio (INR), fibrinogen (FIB), prothrombin activity (PTA), platelets (PLT), fibrin degradation products (FDPs), and D-dimer. Lung, liver and mesentery samples were taken 72 h after carrageenan injection for histopathological analysis. The number of microthrombi in sections of different tissue samples were counted under a microscope. Blood parameters among each group were compared using the Welch test, Kruskal-Wallis test or SNK test after testing for normality, while the number of microthrombi was compared using the Bonferroni test. Compared to the model group, PT, APTT, INR, and FIB levels at the majority of time points were significantly shorter or lower in the two treatment groups (P <0.05 for all), but the PTA was not significantly improved in the treatment groups. The levels of FDPs and D-dimer and PLT counts at the majority of time points were significantly lower (P <0.05 for all), and the numbers of microthrombi in the lung, liver and mesentery samples were significantly decreased (P <0.05 for all) in the two treatment groups. The above parameters at the majority of time points showed no significant differences between the two treatment groups. We conclude that Huisheng Oral Solution can significantly improve coagulation parameters, fibrinolysis parameters, and PLT count, and reduce blood hypercoagulability and microthrombosis suggesting that Huisheng Oral Solution has an anticoagulant effect in a rat model of thrombosis.