Proton NMR study of the state of water in fibrin gels, plasma, and blood clots.

ABSTRACT

A proton NMR relaxation and pulsed field gradient self-diffusion study of water in fibrin gels, plasma, and blood clots has been performed with special emphasis on the effect of the sol-gel and shrinkage transitions. Deuteron NMR in fibrin gels was also studied to supplement the proton data. It is shown that a measurement of the water proton or deuteron T1/T2 ratio allows for a determination of the bound water fraction in all these systems. The change in the T1/T2 ratio at the shrinkage transition further allows for a determination of the surface fractal dimension of the gel if the change in the volume of the gel is known. The self-diffusion coefficient of water in these systems, which determines the transport properties of the gel, is found to be proportional to the free water fraction in both the nonshrunken and shrunken state.