The wettability of fibrinized surfaces and of living vascular endothelium by blood

Abstract

There are no significant differences between the surface tensions of blood, plasma and serum. On glass, blood wets very slightly better than plasma which wets very slightly better than serum. The wettability of these materials on fibrin is in the same order as that on glass. No appreciable difference has been detected between the wetting of glass and fibrin surfaces by blood, plasma or serum.

Our investigations demonstrate that no relation exists between the wettability of a surface with blood and the coagulation of the blood; since fibrin surfaces, which we found to be wettable, have previously been shown by one of us (A.L.C.) to act as anticoagulants both extracorporeally and in vivo. Our experiments with air emboli in the microcirculation of the hamster’s cheek pouch and of the mesentery of guinea pigs and of rats show that living vascular endothelium, contrary to the generally held contention, is wettable.