Alteration of arterial blood flow after endothelial injury. Vascular patency after spontaneous reperfusion in the carotid artery of α2-AP^+/+ mice (A) and α2-AP^-/- mice (B). The time profile of vascular patency after the endothelial injury was schematically illustrated for 120 minutes at the first observation (day 0) and for 30 minutes at day 1, 2, or 3. The black and open columns indicate the periods of vascular occlusion and of blood flow (more than 10% of the blood flow obtained before the initiation of vascular injury), respectively.