Ancrod causes rapid thrombolysis in patients with acute stroke.

Abstract

Clot lysis is desirable in patients with thrombi in arteries and arterioles by a safe rapidly-acting thrombolytic agent. Ancrod cleaves fibrinogen; the resulting circulating ancrod-fibrin stimulates fibrinolysis. Ancrod action and effect were studied in 20 patients with acute developing stroke in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups, and received either normal saline or ancrod 0.5 mu/kg in normal saline administered as a constant-rate intravenous infusion over 6 hours. Subsequent doses of ancrod (or saline placebo) were determined daily thereafter for a total treatment period of 7 days. Neither bleeding nor re-thrombosis occurred within the 90 day follow-up period. That ancrod acted rapidly was shown by a significant decrease in functional plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA-I) within 60 minutes, and by significant elevations of fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDP) and D-dimer within 3 and 4 hours. The biological effect of fibrinolysis in ancrod infused patients was demonstrated by a greater improvement in stroke score when compared to those infused with saline.

• Authors: V E Pollak, P Glas-Greenwalt, C P Olinger, N K Wadhwa, S A Myre
• Journal: The American journal of the medical sciences (Am J Med Sci) Vol. 299 Issue 5 Pg. 319-25 (May 1990) ISSN: 0002-9629 [Print] United States
• PMID: 2186630 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products
• Plasminogen Inactivators
• Protein C
• alpha-2-Antiplasmin
• Fibrinogen
• Plasminogen
• Ancrod
• Plasminogen Activators

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Ancrod (therapeutic use)
• Cerebrovascular Disorders (blood, drug therapy)
• Double-Blind Method
• Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products (analysis)
• Fibrinogen (analysis)
• Fibrinolysis (drug effects)
• Humans
• Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis (blood, drug therapy)
• Middle Aged
• Pilot Projects
• Plasminogen (analysis)
• Plasminogen Activators (analysis)
• Plasminogen Inactivators (analysis)
• Protein C (analysis)
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Time Factors
• alpha-2-Antiplasmin (analysis)