Platelet adhesion to vascular cells. The role of exogenous von Willebrand factor in platelet adhesion.

Platelet deposition on cultured fibroblasts and on their extracellular matrix (FBM) was investigated in a flow system with citrated blood and was compared with platelet deposition on cultured endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and their extracellular matrices. Platelet deposition was present at all surfaces except on intact endothelial cells. Deposition on FBM consisted of contact platelets, spread platelets, and a few small aggregates. On intact fibroblasts cells, the surface coverage was lower, and platelets formed aggregates. Factors involved in primary hemostasis, particularly the wall shear rate, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and fibronectin, were investigated on FBM. The reactivity of FBM was determined by the passage number of the cultured cells. The vWF was involved in platelet adhesion on FBM at only the high shear rate (greater than 800 s-1). Platelet deposition was independent of plasma fibronectin at all shear rates tested. Matrix-associated fibronectin was involved in adhesion at low and high wall shear rates. We conclude that FBM can be used as a platelet adhesive surface especially to study the contribution of exogenous vWF to platelet adhesion because FBM does not contain vWF.