Junction Thrombi Deposited on Conducting Materials at Different Potentials

Summary

The present study reveals that the deposits on metal prostheses maintained at positive (spontaneous) or negative electric potentials are in histologic composition and characteristics of the nature of a thrombus and not of a clot in vitro. The study also shows that thrombic deposits on copper prostheses maintained at negativ potentials are broadly similar in nature and composition though there are some significant distinctions among them. In the study on the sample from a copper prosthesis maintained at a potential of —160 mv where only junctional thrombi were formed, it is observed that within about 200 μl from the prosthetic surface the pattern of composition of thrombus changes. The predominant platelet population with very few erythrocytes and fibrin near the prosthetic surface changes with gradual increase in number of red blood cells into a region predominantly composed of red blood cells. Several distorted blood elements with electron dense inclusions in them, observed close to the prosthetic surface, were more frequently observed in the sample from the copper prosthesis at a potential of —160 mv than in the sample at —110 mv.

^*) On leave of absence from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India .

^**) Department of Anatomy.

^***) Recipient of Career Scient ist Award from the Healt h R esearch Council, City of New York, (Contact No. I 542).

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