Effects of antithrombotic agents evaluated in a nonhuman primate vascular shunt model.

The effects of aspirin, cyproheptadine, dextran, dipyridamole, and sulfinpyrazone on thrombus deposition were determined. These antithrombotic agents were evaluated in a nonhuman primate model for thrombus generation that employed test devices exposed to blood in an arteriovenous shunt. Thrombus deposition on test devices was quantitated gravimetrically. Of the antithrombotic agents tested, cyproheptadine was found to be the most effective, and aspirin, dextran, and dipyridamole were each somewhat less effective. Sulfinpyrazone had only a slight antithrombotic effect. Ultrastructual studies of thrombus deposited in test devices showed that the various antithrombotic agents tested did not prevent completely the formation of fibrin, aggregation of platelets, or adhesion and spreading of platelets and leukocytes. This model for thrombus generation is felt to be a more efficient means for evaluating antithrombotic agents than previously described nonhuman primate models.