Effects of warfarin on blood rheology in navicular disease.
A preliminary investigation has been undertaken of blood rheology in horses and ponies, its variation in navicular disease and the changes following treatment with warfarin. Erythrocyte flexibility, measured by a centrifuge packing technique, is higher in horses (30 per cent min-1) than in ponies (23.8 per cent min-1). There are corresponding differences in blood viscosity. The high erythrocyte flexibility in horses is caused by an unknown factor present in plasma. The erythrocyte flexibility in horses with navicular disease is even higher, at 38.5 per cent min-1. Treatment with warfarin reduces the flexibility to just below the normal value. A significant fall in plasma viscosity and erythrocyte flexibility was found after treatment of four ponies with 6 mg warfarin daily for one week.
D000818:Animals; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects; D002350:Carpus, Animal / Q000098:blood supply*; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000187:drug effects; D005552:Forelimb / Q000098:blood supply*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000097:blood; D012212:Rheology; D014859:Warfarin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014859:Warfarin