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ROLE OF THE PLATELET IN ATHEROGENESIS *
Author(s) -
Harker Laurence A.,
Ross Russell,
Glomset John
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb43364.x
Subject(s) - desquamation , platelet , connective tissue , medicine , smooth muscle , balloon catheter , artery , chemistry , pathology , immunology , balloon
Studies thus far have shown that arterial endothelial desquamation produced by mechanical injury with a balloon catheter or chemical injury from chronic homocystinemia or hypercholesterolemia elicits a sequence of events that includes platelet adherence, aggregation, and release at the sites of exposed subendothelial connective tissue, followed by smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation in the intima of the injured segments of the artery wall. During the release reaction, platelets provide a mitogen, not present in plasma, that is important in promoting the proliferative response of smooth muscle cells that results in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Studies in primates and platelet survival studies in man suggest a possible therapeutic role for some antiplatelet drugs in the pharmacologic inhibition of atherogenesis.