Characteristics of thrombus growth differ between wild-type and GP V−/− mice.
Times after FeCl3-induced injury are indicated (min). In the wild-type arteriole, adherent fluorescently labeled platelets can be seen 3 minutes after FeCl3 treatment. A stable thrombus, present at 19 minutes, caused vessel occlusion at 23 minutes after injury. In GP V−/− mice, the occurrences of platelet-vessel wall interactions and platelet aggregation were accelerated. Good size thrombi were seen as early as 3 minutes after injury. However, these thrombi were not stable. They were often stripped off the vessel wall by blood flow when they grew to occlusive size (2 sequential panels at 13 minutes) and led to a significant number of downstream occlusions. The arrows point to a moving thrombus.
