Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Its Cofactor Vitronectin Stabilize Arterial Thrombi After Vascular Injury in Mice

The origin and contribution of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and its cofactor vitronectin (VN) to arterial thrombosis/thrombolysis in vivo is controversial.Ferric chloride was used to induce carotid artery injury in 97 wild-type (WT), 84 PAI-1-/-, and 84 VN-/- mice. Complete thrombotic occlusion was observed in 70% of PAI-1-/- mice versus 92% of WT (P:<0.001) and 87% of VN-/- (P:=0.015) mice. In vessels that occluded, mean times to...