A biological method for studying the interaction between platelets and vascular endothelium.

A segment of fresh rabbit thoracic aorta (RbA) was turned inside out and superfused (1.5 ml/min) with citrated (3.8%) or heparinized (10 U/ml) blood of rabbit and the superfusate was discarded. RbA gained in weight due to deposition of thrombi on its endothelial surface. These thrombi were mainly composed of platelets. The interaction between platelets and endothelium was augmented in RbAs from animals with atherosclerosis and in RbAs pretreated with aspirin (110 microM) or 15-HPETE (150 microM) or by the enzymatic system generating oxygen free radicals (xanthine:xanthine oxidase - 100 microM: 0.1 U/ml). On the other hand, this interaction was impaired by superoxide dismutase (20 U/ml) or catalase (0.2 U/ml). Finally, the dissipation of thrombi by thromboxane A2-synthetase inhibitor--dazoxiben was found to be related to an increase in endothelial generation of prostacyclin.