Anticoagulant Action of Neodymium 3-Sulpho-isonicotinate

Abstract

ALTHOUGH it has long been known that the rare-earth metals interfere with blood clotting both in vitro and in vivo, it was not until 1950 that Vincke and Sucker¹ described, in neodymium 3-sulpho-isonicotinate, a compound that was sufficiently soluble and free of toxic effects for clinical use. It is given by intravenous injection in 2.5 per cent solution and was at first regarded as a prothrombinopenic agent on the basis of a prolonged one-stage ‘prothrombin’ time. Recently, using newer techniques, Beller and Mammen² have reported that neodymium acts by reducing factor VII and factor X, leaving prothrombin normal. We have meantime been studying, independently, the mode of action of this salt, using in particular the blood thromboplastin generation test³, with the following results.