Endothelial cell ischemic injury: protective effect of heparin or aspirin assessed by scanning electron microscopy.

Scanning electron microscopic observations of the luminal surface of the rabbit common carotid artery subjected to occlusion for 30 minutes or two hours revealed crater-like and balloon-like defects in the endothelial surface. The frequency of occurrence of these abnormalities was significantly decreased by pretreatment with heparin or aspirin in doses considered to have antiplatelet aggregating activity.