Von Willebrand's disease in pigs and atherosclerosis

There is experimental evidence that platelets, by interacting with the arterial wall, may be important in the initiation of atherosclerosis. This paper describes the results of consecutive experiments indicating that pigs with impaired platelet-blood vessel interaction in the form of von Willebrand's disease are resistant to the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Ongoing experiments in these pigs are providing significant insight into the relationship of the circulating platelets, the endothelial cell and circulating von Willebrand factor, and the reactivity of the arterial wall in the process of atherosclerosis.