Observations on Horse Blood Coagulation.

This study indicates that horse blood lacks sufficient concentrations of two key factors related to blood clotting – Factor VIII and Factor IX, compared to normal human blood levels. The research also notes the capacity of activated horse and human plasma to effectively reduce clotting time in both species.

Understanding Factors VIII and IX and their Deficiency in Horse Blood

• The research conducted experiments that highlighted the deficiency of Factor VIII and Factor IX in horse blood.
• Factor VIII and Factor IX are proteins necessary for blood coagulation. When deficient, they can lead to poor or slow blood clotting.
• The study found that the concentration of Factor VIII ranged from 30 to 60 percent of normal human levels, whereas Factor IX ranged from 50 to 80 percent. These figures are considered deficient, as the typical concentration in normal human males range between 60 to 150 percent for both factors.

Recalcification Time of Horse Plasma

• The research also provides valuable insights into the recalcification time of horse plasma, which was found to be significantly longer than that for normal human plasma.
• Recalcification time refers to the period for plasma to clot after the addition of calcium. A longer recalcification time may imply a slower clotting process, potentially linked to the lower Factor VIII and Factor IX levels found in horse blood.

Effective Clotting Time Reduction with Activated Plasma

• Interesting results emerged from the application of the glass activation test of Margolis. It showed that both activated horse plasma and activated human plasma could effectively reduce the clotting time of intact horse or human plasma.
• In simpler terms, the study found that once ‘activated’ (process that preps the plasma for clotting), there was no substantial difference between the effectiveness of horse and human plasma in reducing clotting times.