Electrically induced arterial thrombosis model in the conscious rat.

Thrombus formation was electrically induced in the left common carotid artery of rats with preoccluded both vertebral and right carotid arteries. Following thrombus induction, animals became unresponsive and lost their righting reflex. The loss of righting reflex was observed when cortical tissular pO2 reached 55 +/- 9% of its initial value. A similar decrease in pO2 was induced by mechanical occlusion of the left carotid artery. The delay between discontinuation of current and the loss of righting reflex was measured to indirectly evaluate occlusive thrombus formation. The capacity of various antithrombotic agents to delay the righting reflex loss was studied. Heparin, ticlopidine and the thromboxane-endoperoxides receptor blocker, BM 13177, exerted a significant activity, whereas acetylsalicylic acid and the thromboxane synthetase inhibitors, OKY O46 and dazmegrel, were inefficient.