Change and significance of vWF in a model of rat coronary thrombosis in situ

AIM To explore the changes and significance of plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels in rat with coronary thrombosis in situ. METHODS Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into model group (n=36), sham operation group (n=36) for different time (1 h, 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 d; n=6, respectively）and normal control group (n=6). After closing the aorta, sodium laurate was injected into the aortic root in model group, the rats in sham operation group were injected with physiologic saline, and the rats in normal group remained untreated. Microthrombs were detected with HE staining and modified Martius-Sarlet-Blue stains (MMSB), plasma vWF was measured by ELISA and cardiac structure and function were measured by echocardiogram. RESULS Many microthrombs were observed in the rat coronary microvasculature, vWF increased in plasma, the cardiac function decreased and the heart was enlarged in model group compared with those in sham operation group (P<0.05). No significant changes were observed in sham operation group and normal group. CONCLUSION The functional disorder of endothelial cells triggered by sodium laurate induces the increase of vWF in the coronary artery’s microvasculature and forms thrombosis with platelets and fibrin, which leads to the remodel of the heart.