Effect of angioplasty-induced endothelial denudation compared with medial injury on regional coronary blood flow.

Abstract
To determine the effect of angioplasty-induced arterial injury on regional coronary blood flow, resting and postocclusion reactive hyperemic flows were measured in the left anterior descending (LAD) and circumflex (LCx) coronary arteries of 32 dogs after one of four interventions in the LAD with a balloon angioplasty catheter: group A, no injury; group B, endothelial denudation; group C, medial injury; group D, pretreatment with 325 mg of aspirin 2 hr before medial injury. Resting flows did not change in any group. In group C, hyperemic flow decreased in both the LAD and LCx by 15% to 20% (p less than .001) over 30 to 90 min, suggesting that a circulating substance changed coronary resistance. Histologic and ultrastructural studies of the LADs demonstrated an intact endothelial cell layer in group A, endothelial disruption with a few adherent platelets in group B, medial injury with a dense layer of adherent platelets in group C, and medial injury with a few adherent platelets in group D. Thus endothelial...