Characterization of disseminated intravascular coagulation after endotoxin. (Left) C57BL/6 females were injected intraperitoneally with 30 (low dose) or 60 (high dose) mg/kg LPS. At the indicated time, blood was collected and platelet counts, TAT levels, and ATIII levels determined (mean ± SD, n = 6). (Right) C57BL/6 females were injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg LPS with or without hirudin (5 mg/kg) treatment as described in “Materials and methods”; untreated control mice were processed in parallel. At 8 hours, mice were perfusion fixed and tissues processed for immunohistochemistry. Antifibrin immunostaining of paraffin sections of liver is shown. Note fibrin deposition in hepatic microvessels of LPS-treated mice and its prevention by hirudin.