Human umbilical endothelial cells (ECs) were grown on fibrillar type I collagen in 16.4-mm multiwell tissue culture plates. Human platelets were added to the wells, and platelet adhesion to collagen was examined by scanning electron microscopy and radioisotopic technique in the absence of ECs and in preconfluent and confluent EC cultures. Single adherent platelets of different shapes as well as small aggregates were seen on collagen surface. Human plasma fibronectin added to the system stimulated platelet adhesion and their spreading on collagen. ECs had no effect on the percentage of platelets adherent to collagencoated gaps in preconfluent culture but decreased the number of spread platelets. It is demonstrated that collagen-coated gaps can bind ' C-labeled liposome.antibody and "'C-labeled liposome-fibronectin conjugates. ECs grown on fibrillar collagen are suggested as useful models for screening of antiplatelet drugs and for the study of drug targeting tothe areas of vascular injury for prevention of thrombosis..At present, injury of the endothelial lining of the vessel wall is viewed as one of the key mechanisms of thrombogenesis and, possibly, ofatherogenesis (for review, see refs. 1-3). The injury or loss of endothelial cells (ECs) results in the loss of athrombogenic properties by the vessel wall and this leads to adhesion of blood platelets to the injured surface. It is thought that the recognition of injury occurs through a specific interaction of platelets with subendothelium, of which several constituents, particularly collagen, have high affinity toward platelets (1, 2).To study the mechanism of platelet adhesion to the injured vessel wall, everted vessel segments or surfaces coated with fibrillar collagen have been used (2, 4-6). In the work reported here, an experimental model is described which includes partial reconstitution of the luminal surface of "normal" and "injured" vessel wall. This surface is imitated by a bilayer structure of confluent or preconfluent EC cultures grown on fibrillar collagen. The model was used for: (i) quantitative studies ofplatelet adhesion to collagen-coated gaps in preconfluent EC cultures and to the surface of ECs; (ii) examination of effects produced by plasma fibronectin and ECs on the adhesion and spreading ofplatelets on fibrillar collagen; and (iii) attempts to develop an approach for specific recognition ofcollagen-coated gaps in preconfluent EC culture by "4C-labeled liposome-antibody to type I collagen andd "4C-labeled liposome-fibronectin conjugates.
MATERIALS AND METHODSIsolation of Fibronectin, Collagen, and Antibodies to Collagen. Human plasma fibronectin was isolated by affinity chromatography on gelatin-Sepharose (7)
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