ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to examine the blood coagulation profiles of ferrets and compare them with those of rats. The ferret activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was slightly longer than the rat aPTT. In contrast, the ferret prothrombin time and thrombin time were profoundly shorter than the corresponding rat values. The fibrinogen level in ferret plasma was 2 times higher than that in rats. Heparin prolonged all blood coagulation times in a concentration-dependent manner in both ferret and rat plasma. A significantly (P<0.01) higher concentration of heparin was required to double the aPTT in ferrets than rats. These blood coagulation data for ferrets will be useful in experimental animal studies.KEY WORDS: blood coagulation, ferret, fibrinogen, heparin, rat.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 73(7): 953-956, 2011 The ferret has been used as an experimental animal in a wide variety of studies including bacteriology, virology, physiology, toxicology, and pharmacology studies [2]. In particular, the ferret is used as a gold standard animal model of nausea and vomiting [6]. In addition, ferrets have also become a very popular mammalian pet species. In veterinary clinical settings, ferrets are susceptible to a number of diseases that may be associated with hemostatic disorders, including hepatic disease, endocrine disorders, and neoplasia [5,10,16]. Determination of the blood coagulation profiles of healthy ferrets would facilitate the detection and monitoring of coagulopathies and drug effects in this species. However, there is limited information available about the blood coagulation values of ferrets [1,8].Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (aPTT), and thrombin time (TT) are the most commonly used clotting time assays in mammals. PT, aPTT, and TT assess the function of the extrinsic pathway, the intrinsic pathway, and the common pathway, respectively [15]. The aim of our study was to examine the blood coagulation profiles of ferrets. We compared the blood coagulation times of ferrets with those of rats, one of the most widely used experimental animals. We also compared the anticoagulant activity of unfractionated heparin (heparin), which is currently the most widely used anticoagulant in experimental and clinical settings, between the two species.All study protocols were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Azabu University. Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo, 6 females, 1 year of age) and rats (SpragueDawley strain, 5 females and 5 males, 10 weeks of age) from Japan SLC Inc. (Shizuoka, Japan) were utilized. The animals were housed in climate controlled rooms under a 12 hr dark and light periods and allowed free access to food and water.Blood samples were collected from the cranial vena cava of the ferrets after they had been anesthetized with ketamine (20 mg/kg, im, Fujita Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and the abdominal aorta of the rats after they had been anesthetized with pentobarbital (50 mg/kg, ip, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan). The blood sample...

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to investigate blood coagulation times in genetically obese rats and diet-induced obese (DIO) mice in order to clarify the relationship between visceral obesity and blood coagulation. WBN/Kob-Lepr fa (fa/fa) rats, a genetically obese model, exhibited a significantly shorter activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) than age-matched Wistar rats. C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet (60%), a DIO model, exhibited significantly shorter aPTT, PT and thrombin time than lean mice fed a standard diet. Higher body weight, visceral fat weight and insulin resistance were also shared by fa/fa rats and DIO mice. These results suggest that visceral obesity is related to accelerated blood coagulation in addition to disrupted metabolism of glucose and lipids. KEY WORDS: blood coagulation time, mouse, obese, rat, visceral fat.doi: 10.1292/jvms.13-0029; J. Vet. Med. Sci. 75(9): 1245-1248, 2013 The large increase in patients with metabolic syndrome which is closely correlated with visceral obesity is a problem in urgent need of a solution in developed countries, including Japan. Visceral obesity is associated with a high incidence of ischemic heart disease [4,9], and many cases are complicated by impaired glucose tolerance, hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure [6].Thrombus formation in the coronary artery with underlying arteriosclerosis is known to be a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dyslipidemia, which are particularly prevalent in metabolic syndrome. The blood coagulation system plays a major role in thrombus formation. However, little is known about the relationship between visceral obesity and blood coagulation. This study investigated this relationship by measuring blood coagulation times in 2 distinct visceral obesity models; the WBN/Kob-Lepr fa (fa/ fa) rat, a genetically obese model [2,7], and the C57BL/6J mouse fed a high-fat diet, a DIO model [16]. In both animal models after body weight had plateaued, blood coagulation times were compared with those of age-matched Wistar rats and lean mice fed a standard diet, respectively. Blood coagulation times measured in the present study are activated partial prothrombin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT), the most commonly used clotting time assays in mammals. aPTT, PT and TT assess the function of the intrinsic pathway, the extrinsic pathway and the common pathway, respectively [18].This study was carried out on male fa/fa rats and agematched Wistar rats (Japan SLC Inc., Hamamatsu, Japan), or male C57BL/6J mice (Charles River Laboratories Japan, Inc., Yokohama, Japan). All animals were kept in an environment at 20°C and 50 ± 5% humidity with 12 hr of light and free access to food and water. All experimental animals used in this study were handled according to the experimental animal guidelines of Azabu University. Blood glucose levels of fa/fa rats and Wistar rats were measured weekly from 6 weeks of age using blood collected from tail veins. Rats at 10 weeks ...

An adolescent maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for 8 years had relapsing peritonitis involving peritoneal catheter tunnel infections. We attempted catheter removal and replacement simultaneously, with the catheter covered cylindrically by a rectus abdominis muscle flap to prevent recurrent tunnel infections. During 3 years of follow-up, there have been no episodes of peritonitis involving tunnel infection. Our modified insertion technique can eradicate tunnel infection, thus reducing peritonitis.

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