Summary
Increased risk of thrombosis, with propitious conditions for fibrin deposition, along
with upregulation of inflammation, are important factors that enhance plaque formation
in atherosclerosis. Evidence supporting the role of anticoagulant protein C (PC) as
an inflammatory agent has emerged, supplementing its wellknown function as an anticoagulant.
Thus, we sought to examine whethera PC deficiency would lead to an enhanced response
to an acute arterial hyperplasic challenge. The presentation of early arterial inflammation
was studied using a copper/silicone arterial cuff model of accelerated focal neointimal
remodeling in mice with a heterozygous total deficiency of PC (PC+/−). Increased inflammation, cell proliferation, cell migration, fibrin elevation, and
tissue necrosis were observed in the treated arteries of PC+/−mice, as compared to arteries of equally challenged age- and gender-matched WT mice.
These results indicate that PC+/−mice subjected to this challenge displayed enhanced focal arterial inflammation and
thrombosis, leading to larger neointimas and subsequent localized occlusion, as compared
to their WT counterparts.
Keywords
Inflammation - thrombosis - arterial injury - arterial remodeling - arterial neointima
formation