Quantitation of Platelet Adherence to Rabbit Aortae and Platelet Survival After two Injuries with a Balloon Catheter

Following a single balloon catheter injury to a rabbit aorta (INJ 1) a monolayer of platelets covers the subendothelium within 10 min, the surface becomes relatively non-reactive to further platelet accumulation and platelet survival is not altered. We have now studied whether a second similar injury (INJ 2) of the non-reactive, smooth muscle cell-rich neointima 7 days after INJ 1 makes the surface of the neointima reactive to platelets or alters platelet survival. 51Cr-platelet adherence to the neointima of aortae subjected to INJ 2 in vitro 7 days after an initial in vivo injury was not significantly different from the adherence following a single in vitro injury (16,600 ± 3100 platelets/mm2 and 27,600 ± 4000 respectively, ρ > 0.2). In vivo adherence of 51Cr-platelets to the surface of rabbit aortae was similar following INJ 1 (0.084 ± 0.009% of the circulate, platelets) and INJ 2 (0.130 ± 0.03%, p > 0.2). Platelet survival after injury to the neointima was not significantly different in animals with an undamaged aortic endothelium (74.6 ± 5.9 hr and 80.2 ± 4.3 hr respectively, ρ > 0.5). Thus, a second injury involving the smooth’ muscle cell-rich neointima that forms after removal of the endothelium with a balloon catheter does not cause more platelets to accumulate than the initial injury, nor shorten platelet survival.