['Fibrin- and platelet-rich thrombus formations occur as the initial event after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. We therefore tested the hypothesis that short-term administration of the recombinant tick anticoagulant peptide (rTAP), a factor Xa inhibitor, would reduce the thickness of neointima at 28 days after injury in a porcine coronary balloon angioplasty model.', 'Continuous intravenous infusion of rTAP (average dose, 194 micrograms . kg-1 . min-1) or placebo (vehicle only) was given to the study pigs for 60 hours. The goal of anticoagulation was to maintain the activated clotting time at 200 seconds. A central venous catheter was inserted 2 days before the procedure. On the day of coronary injury, the animals were administered boluses of rTAP (6.5 mg) and then underwent injury with an oversized metallic coil by standard methods in the right, circumflex, or left anterior descending coronary artery. No significant difference in vascular injury between rTAP and vehicle control was observed after euthanasia at 28 days. Significantly less neointimal thickening occurred in the rTAP-treated animals (thickness, mean +/-SD: 0.30 +/-0.08 mm) compared with the control (0.48 +/- 0.12 mm, P< .001).'] Is neointimal thickening after severe coronary artery injury limited by a short-term administration of a factor Xa inhibitor . Results in a porcine model?