Proteolysis of Von Willebrand Factor Influences Inflammatory Endothelial Activation and Vascular Compliance in Atherosclerosis

•In murine models of atherosclerosis, excess endothelial-associated vWF results not only in platelet adhesion, but also endothelial expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, indicating a role of platelets in endothelial activation.•The events triggered by excess endothelial-associated vWF lead to accelerated plaque growth and abnormal arterial mechanical properties.•The cellular and molecular events described herein can be assessed noninvasively through molecular imaging.