Tissue factor (TF) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to induce disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in rats. In these TF- and LPS-induced animal DIC-models, we studied efficacy of all-trans retinoic acide (ATRA), vitamin D₃ (Vit D₃) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for the treatment of DIC. In the TF-DIC model, decreases in platelet counts (PLT) and plasma fibrinogen (Fbg), and increases in the D-dimer and the thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) were both significantly inhibited by LMWH, but not by ATRA or Vit D₃. On the other hand, all three drugs inhibited formation of fibrin thrombin significantly in the LPS-DIC model, although increase in the amount of LMWH from 200 U to 500 U resulted in higher incidence of severe bleeding and mortality. Thus care must be taken in the selection of DIC-inducing agents in animal experiments to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of these drugs that are widely accepted for the treatment of DIC in man.

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