Role of Platelets in Dissolution of Blood Clots

Abstract

VENOUS blood (1 vol.) diluted with 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 (9 vol.), and clotted with bovine thrombin (Parke, Davis and Co.; 1 unit per ml.) will afterwards dissolve in 2–8 h at 37° C if the diluted blood is handled in siliconized glassware and kept at 0° C for 30 min after the addition of thrombin¹. The time required for the clot to dissolve is 12–24 h when the diluted blood is centrifuged at 1,800g for 10 min (4° C) and the supernatant alone is clotted. If the supernatant and infranatant are mixed and then clotted with thrombin, the clot will again dissolve in 2–8 h. Centrifugation at 1,800g for 10 min would be expected to remove only the cellular components from the supernatant.