Rapamycin promotes arterial thrombosis in vivo: implications for everolimus and zotarolimus eluting stents.

Aims: Drug-eluting stents (DES) may be associated with an increased risk for stent thrombosis when compared with bare-metal stents. In endothelial cells, rapamycin induces tissue factor (TF) by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). However, the effect of mTOR inhibition on TF activity and thrombus formation in vivo has not yet been studied.