Comparative Thromboplastin Activity of Acetone-Dehydrated Rabbit and Human Brain.

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Abstract
Rabbit and human brains dehydrated with acetone, when extracted with saline solution at 50C, have a potent and nearly equal thromboplastic activity when measured by the one-stage prothrombin time. Human brain contains an inhibitor which slightly prolongs the prothrombin time when used in high concentration. The thromboplastic activity can also be measured by the prothrombin consumption test using plasma from a severe hemophiliac as the assay medium. Serum prepared from normal platelet-poor plasma can be used as a satisfactory substitute for hemophilic plasma. Potency of rabbit and human brain preparations when assayed by this method is about the same. When rabbit brain is heated to 60C, it loses its holothrombo-plastic activity but retains an activity similar to platelets, i.e., it causes prothrombin consumption in normal platelet-poor plasma but not in hemophilic plasma, thereby making it a suitable agent to differentiate hemophilia from thrombocytopenia and thrombasthenia. Human brain cannot be substituted since it is too heat resistant.