Response of the Arterial Wall to Endothelial Removal: An Autoradiographic Study

The proliferative response of the balloon deendothelialized rabbit aorta was followed by tritiated thymidine labeling. Peak labeling was seen by 6 days after the procedure, with progressively decreasing activity with increasing distance from the lumen. The proliferative response rapidly subsided, so that base-line values were achieved by a month after the vessel insult. The decrease in proliferation occurred even in areas which were not re-endothelialized. The mechanism of this moderating response is presently not explained, but it appears to have adaptive value in preventing excessive lumen occlusion following vascular injury.