Abstract

Experiments on rats indicate that intravenous administration of any one among 16 rare earth metal trichlorides produces topical thrombohemorrhagic lesions at sites of epinephrine administration. Depending upon dosage and timing, it is possible to produce such lesions either at the epinephrine injection sites alone or in distant organs also, particularly in the kidney. The thrombohemorrhagic lesions produced by ScCl₃ plus epinephrine are regularly prevented by pretreatment with alpha adrenergic blocking agents, but not by a series of antihistaminics, antiserotonins or anticoagulants. Apparently, after treatment with rare earth metals, the catecholamine can create local conditions which greatly favor topical thrombus formation even when the clotting of circulating blood is inhibited by an effective anticoagulant such as bishydroxycoumarine.